From The Ashes
by TBorah89
Summary: An Au story after 5.09 A look at what would have happened had Rayna lived. It follows her through her recovery and her battle back to the top of the country music charts. What happens when Deacon has to be the strong one for a change? How will they both deal with that role reversal? How will they cope when demons they thought they buried rear their heads again?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is AU after 5.09. A little what if had Rayna lived.

Disclaimer: I don't own Nashville I'm only borrowing it.

* * *

Chapter 1

The sterile white walls, the harsh fluorescent lighting, the beeping of machines, and the constant din of activity were all enough to make a person lose their mind. The steady shuffle of medical personnel in and out of the room at all hours of the day made it impossible to sleep. The food was food in name only it wasn't edible and hunger could be added to the list of things already wrong. The daily blood draws and IV fluids made a person start to feel more like a pin cushion than a human.

This had been Rayna Jaymes' life for the past ten days. Or at least what she could remember. There had been a four-day period before that when things had been touch and go and she hadn't even known what planet she was on much less given a damn about what was going on around her. As she recovered tough, all those little things had started to get on her nerves. She knew that she was lucky to still be alive she was grateful for it, even, but she would give anything to be in her own home again.

She let out a loud long sigh as the nurse on duty took her vitals. She was sitting up in the bedside recliner with a walker in front of her. She was in more pain now than both times she had given birth combined.

"How's the pain right now, Rayna?" Karen was a short, older black nurse.

"I'm at an eight at least. The people from physical therapy were here about a half hour ago." Rayna groaned softly.

"That means it's closer to being off the chart." Karen consulted her chart. "Lucky you, it's time for another round of pain meds. These aren't as heavy duty as the ones we had you on before we got you up and mobile again. You can have these every two to four hours." She scanned the wristband on Rayna's arm and got her pain meds off the cart.

"I prefer these to the ones I was on before. Those made me think I was going crazy." Rayna tossed the pills in her mouth and swallowed them with a sip of a water.

"Different people react differently to those narcotics. Be thankful that they make you feel that way. You don't have to worry so much about getting hooked on them." Karen advised her.

"Right now, that's the last thing I need to worry about." Rayna closed her eyes trying to find some relief.

Deacon stood in the doorway for a moment and watched her to assure himself that she was still alive. He wanted to be sick every time he thought about how close they'd come to losing her. He'd known that there was something wrong with her when she told him that she'd been talking to her mom. It had been her body's way of telling her that something wasn't right. Thank God, he'd followed his instincts and kept on her doctor to run just one more test to make sure she was ok.

As it turned out the repair made to her pelvis hadn't held and bone marrow had been leaking into her bloodstream. She'd been rushed back into surgery and they'd spent the next few hours sitting her bed waiting to see if she would live or die. He'd never been so scared as he was while he held both his girls in what he thought was the final time they would ever spend with mother.

He shook his head and blinked his eyes rapidly to rid himself of those thoughts. She'd pulled through at the last second and now they had the rest of their lives together. It would just be awhile if ever before he got over that shock to his system.

"She givin' you any trouble, Karen?" He found his voice.

"She's an angel no matter how bad her mood is, you're the one who's trouble." Karen teased him. "Her vitals are good and the authority from the physical therapy people that she's doing well."

"I've heard that a time or two in my life." Deacon laughed softly. "That's what I wanna hear."

"It's true. He's not supposed to be here. I sent him home two hours ago with a promise that he'd sleep and see about our girls." Rayna glared at him.

"He's barely left your side since you've been here. I don't know why you expect anything else out of him." Karen reasoned with her.

"If I'm doing so well, when can I go home?" Rayna pouted. She really wanted to get back to her life.

Deacon and the nurse shared a look.

"What was that look about?" Rayna demanded.

"It's was nothin', babe." Deacon bent over and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm leaving you in charge, take care of her." Karen teased Deacon.

"I'll make sure that she doesn't stage any jailbreaks." Deacon assured her.

"Babe, I wanna go home, damn it." Rayna crossed her arms over her chest. The bruising and swelling on her face had started to fade.

"I know you do, and I want you home. Ray, we just came so close to losin' you. I don't wanna feel that way ever again. I ain't ever been so scared." Deacon took a shuddering breath. Thinking about it still brought him close to tears.

"I'm sorry, babe. You have been so strong for me and the girls. You don't know how much I appreciate that. You've given me some peace of mind. I know now that if something did happen to me you'd be able to take care of them." Rayna reached over and took his hand.

"Please, don't talk like that." Deacon squeezed her hand affectionately.

"How are the girls today?" Rayna missed being home with her daughters.

"Maddie is Maddie and I couldn't convince the little one to go to school today, so I didn't force it." Deacon replied.

"Hopefully, I can get out of here soon and get her back on schedule." She shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

His eyes flashed with concern. "What do you need, baby? You wanna try walkin' a little bit or you wanna get back in bed?" He jumped to his feet quickly. She was allowed, she was encouraged to get up and move around as much as she could stand.

"I'd like to get in bed until this pain pill kicks in. Then I will get up and try to walk a little bit." Rayna leaned forward in the chair and put her hands on the walker.

Deacon put his hand on the walker to keep in anchored. "Easy does it now, Ray." He encouraged her. He put his other hand other her arm to help steady her. She didn't really need his help she handled the walker fine. It made him feel better to help.

Rayna sat down on the edge of the bed. She let out a slight groan of pain when he helped her get her legs into bed. "Somehow I don't think that was as painful as it was this morning." She was trying to look on the bright side of things. Staying positive was the only thing that was going to get her out of there.

* * *

Deacon sat in the recliner with his arm thrown behind his head casually. His glasses were perched on his nose and he was looking at a magazine. He was doing his best to tune whatever daytime crap his wife was watching. He stole a glance at his phone. This show should be getting on the road any minute.

"Babe, how do you watch that?" He asked her.

"It sure as hell beats anything else around here." Rayna sighed heavily. She'd gone for a little walk earlier and now she was resting again before another bout of physical therapy.

"I know how to remedy that." Deacon pulled up one of the plastic chairs to her beside and picked up a deck of cards.

"You sure you wanna do that? I guess I could let you try to win a little of your dignity back." Rayna sat up with a smirk.

"Just remember who taught you to play poker. I may be lettin' you win 'cause I feel sorry for ya." Deacon teased her. He shuffled the deck of cards.

"Think whatever you have to, to feel better, sugar." Rayna laughed at him.

"It's your bet, Ray." Deacon observed a half an hour later.

Rayna studied her cards, but before she could decide she was distracted by a knock on the door. Her face lit up. "What in the world are ya'll doin' here?"

Tandy stood in the doorway flanked on either side by Maddie and Daphne. Scarlett stood behind the three of them. "I figured it was about time I came to see my baby sister. I can only trust that husband of yours to take care of you for so long." She walked over to the bed and hugged her gently.

"It's good to see you." Rayna held tight to her sister while her eyes teared up.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you. You don't ever get to scare me that badly again. This is two times now. I know that you're a lot like mom, but you don't want to be like her that way." Tandy had tears rolling down her face.

"I'm so sorry." Rayna started crying too

The two sisters cried together for a few minutes.

Rayna pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I'm so happy to see all of you. But what are you doin' here?"

Maddie sat on one side of the bed and Daphne laid next to her mother on the other.

"You noticed a look between me and Karen earlier. That was 'cause you're gettin' outta here today, babe." Deacon explained.

"Deacon, you better not be playing with me right now." Rayna's face lit up.

"He's not, I have your discharge papers right here." Karen walked into the room and held up a stack of papers.

"I wouldn't tease you 'bout this. That's why the four of 'em came up here. Scarlett is here to take my truck home. Tandy drove your car up here. This is the welcome home wagon train." Deacon smiled at her.

"How? I thought that arrangements had to be made?" Rayna was so confused.

"Everythin' is taken care of already. Tandy came in a couple days ago. We have physical therapy set up and she's there to sit with you if I have to go do somethin'." Deacon told her.

"What do you say, Rayna?" Karen asked her.

"I say get me outta here." Rayna said firmly.

"Come on, girls, let's take your momma's stuff out to the car, so she can get dressed." Scarlett waved for Maddie and Daphne to help her.

"Tell me that you thought to bring me clothes." Rayna begged her sister.

"Of course, I did." Tandy held up a small duffle bag.

"I will help keep her steady if ya'll wanna help her get dressed." Karen volunteered.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Deacon smiled.

* * *

An hour later Rayna was wheeled to the back entrance of the hospital to avoid the press. An orderly helped her into the back seat of her SUV. There was enough room for the girls to get in on either side of her. Maddie and Daphne each took one of their mother's hands.

"Home we go," Deacon announced as he pulled away from hospital.

"Where are Scarlett and Tandy?" Rayna gripped her daughters' hands tightly.

"They left earlier, so they could pick up your prescriptions. They will meet us at home." Deacon smiled at her in the rearview mirror.

"We are so glad that you are finally coming home, mom." Daphne cuddled into her mother's side.

"Yeah, mom," Maddie agreed.

"I've missed ya'll so much. I promise you that you're not as happy that I'm coming home as I am, though." Rayna kissed each of them on the head.

Deacon drove very carefully all the way home. He pulled up as close to the house as he could to make it easier for Rayna to get in. "Now, you wait a minute for me to get that walker for you." He jumped out and took the walker out of the trunk. He positioned it by the car door for her.

Rayna gingerly slid out of the car and steadied herself on the walker. "Oh," She hissed through her teeth.

"Sorry, baby," Deacon's face screwed up in sympathetic pain.

"I'm ok," Rayna assured him.

The girls opened the door while Deacon helped their mother make her way up the walk.

"Let me show you to your temporary room." Deacon led her to the den.

Tandy was in there putting the finishing touches on everything. "There you are, babe. Since you're not gonna be able to get up those stairs for a few more weeks we thought that we'd fix you up a bed in here."

"Ya'll really thought of everything." Rayna was touched at the gesture.

"We tried to anyway. If there's anythin' that you need that you don't have you let us know. Tandy and have temporarily joined forces as the co-captains of Team Rayna." Deacon kissed her tenderly after he helped her sit down on the bed.

"Right now, I'd really love a little while alone with the girls." Rayna brushed her thumb against his cheek.

"We can arrange that. Deacon and I will go see what to do about dinner." Tandy replied.

"Yeah, just yell if you need anythin'." Deacon and Tandy left the room together.

"Come sit," Rayna patted the bed on either side of her.

Maddie sat on one side and Daphne sat on the other. Rayna put an arm around each of them.

"I know that what just happened was very scary, but you two have been so brave. I want you to know that it's ok for you not to be ok, though." Rayna spoke to them gently.

"I'm fine, really, mom," Maddie shrugged off her mother's concern.

"I'm just glad you're better, mom." Daphne clung to her mother.

"I am here if either of you have anything that you need to talk about. I'm a little slow these days, but I'm here for you always." Rayna reassured them. She just held them close to her thankful that she was still able to do that.

* * *

"Ray, if you ain't ready for me to leave you I ain't gotta go tonight." Deacon was in the process of getting dressed to go to the CMT awards.

"Deacon, I'm fine, I've been home since yesterday. I'm settled in. My sister is here if I need anything. I want you and the girls to go and relax for a little while. The three of you have waited on me hand and foot. I've had to want for nothing. I promise you that I will still be here when you get back." Rayna gestured for him to bend down so she could kiss him.

Deacon kissed her deeply. "I can't help bein, worried, but if you want me to go I'll go."

"Deacon, just go, you're smothering me." Rayna smiled against his lips.

"I will see you later tonight." Deacon finally relented.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Tandy, how has Maddie seemed to you?" Rayna asked her sister. They were sitting on the couch together. She was worried about her oldest. She had the tendency to bottle things up just like Deacon.

"Maddie really hasn't said much. You know Maddie though she will let you know what she's thinking sooner or later." Tandy tried to reassure her.

"What worries me is how she'll express what she's feeling." Rayna mumbled.

"Relax," Tandy turned the tv to the CMT awards.

Rayna groaned when she saw the huge tribute they had to her. "They act like I died or something."

"I don't think you understand how close you did come to dying. Deacon called me at one point and he put the phone up to your ear so I could say goodbye. I really thought that I was going to have to come home for your funeral. You being you, though, you're too stubborn to go out on anything, but your terms." Tandy gave her a sad smile.

"I have a pretty good idea of how close I came to dying. I don't know if Deacon told you or not, but I saw mom and I swear I was talking to her." Rayna admitted.

"I didn't know that." Tandy gasped.

"Yeah, I think I knew then that something wasn't right. I honestly think she was coming to prepare me to die. Deacon pushed it with the doctor though. He fought for me." Rayna wiped a tear away.

Tandy wiped a tear away from her eye as well. She took her baby sister's hand and squeezed it. "Well, thank God, that he's as stubborn as he is."

"Look, there are Deacon and the girls." Rayna pointed them out in the front row of the Bridgestone.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you three are lucky to have him." Tandy could admit that Deacon had been nothing short of amazing since Rayna's accident. He was running himself ragged she was only there to pick up the crumbs he missed.

"That's what I've been telling you for years." Rayna laughed softly at the look that crossed her sister's face.

They watched the show in silence for a little while.

"What's Maddie doing on stage?" Rayna's jaw dropped.

"I have no idea." Tandy shrugged.

Rayna didn't bother to try to hide her tears as she watched her daughter sing the song she'd written so many years ago for Deacon. She only cried harder when Maddie finally broke down. "My poor baby,"

"Her daddy and her sister have her." Tandy put her arms around her sister. She gestured to where Deacon and Daphne joined Maddie on stage.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Maddie was surprised when Juliette sent for her backstage. She was even more surprised when she asked her to go on and sing her mother's song. She squinted in the glare of the harsh lights. She adjusted the monitors in her ears and waited for her cue.

" _Turn the light off, go to bed. Tell me all about the day you had. Lay beside me it's time to rest. You can close your eyes you've done your best."_ Maddie closed her eyes as she sang. A pang of sorrow hit her in the chest. She finally realized how close she'd come to losing her mom.

" _Let me be your sanctuary. Let me be your safe place to fall. I can take away your worries. The refuge from it all…"_ She started to sing the chorus and she broke down all the emotions that she'd been suppressing hit her at once.

Deacon took Daphne's hand and rushed on stage to put his arms around Maddie. He had been wondering how long it was going to take before she finally broke. She was just like him that way. She held it all inside until there was no place for it to go, but out.

" _All this time we have together is our shelter from the rain. I will share the weight you carry. Let me be your sanctuary."_ Daphne finished for her sister.

Deacon gestured for a stagehand to bring him a mic.

" _We have weathered through the storms. Taking comfort in each other's arms. When the dark clouds come again I will lift you up and take you in."_ They sang together.

" _Let me be your sanctuary let me be your safe place to fall. I can take away your worries. The refuge from it all. All this time we have together is our shelter from the rain. I will share the weight you carry let me be your sanctuary. I will share this weight you carry. Let me be your sanctuary."_

* * *

Rayna was in her room in the den when they made it home.

"Hey, babe, how you feelin'?" Deacon spoke softly from the doorway.

Rayna turned to look at him with dried tear tracks on her face. "I'm so, so sorry that I put ya'll through this."

Deacon sat beside her and held her gently. "It's ok, baby, it ain't your fault." He kissed all over her face and he finally planted a kiss on her lips.

"Can you send Maddie in? I need to talk to her." Rayna wiped the fresh tears and sat up on the side of the bed.

"Whatever you need, baby." Deacon gave her one last kiss. He went to fetch Maddie.

Maddie stood in the doorway silently.

Rayna just held her arms open to her.

Maddie burst into a fresh batch and tears and went right into her mother's arms.

"Shh, it's ok, baby girl. I'm still here. I've got you." Rayna made soft shushing sounds and rocked her gently.

* * *

A/N: Here is the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 2

Rayna hissed through gritted teeth. She could've used a little break from physical therapy, but she knew that it was to help her. On the other hand she'd never been one to always do what was good for her.

"Come on, Rayna, you can do this. Just one more extension of the leg that got the worst of it and I won't bother you again until tomorrow." Dean her physical therapist coached her.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't like you and I just met you." Rayna extended her left leg one more time. She fell back on the couch exhausted.

"That's ok. If you liked me I wouldn't be doing my job right." Dean replied.

"Charm won't work on her, Dean. The only way to get anywhere with her is to be a hard ass." Deacon looked up from his spot in the kitchen. He'd been watching his wife start the rehab process and it broke his heart to see her in so much pain. He was going over the books for Highway 65 for her. Sure, she had Zach for that, but he still wasn't sure how he felt about him. Rayna was the majority stock holder and her word still mattered more than some Silicon Valley App developer who hadn't even been born when they started out in the business.

"Deacon, please don't help him. He's already torturing me." Rayna groaned.

"I'm sorry you're in so much pain, babe, but it's for your own good." Deacon grimaced when she looked over the back of the couch to glare at him.

"Is it time for my pills yet?" Rayna asked She hated to be so reliant on those damn things, but she was in pain that she couldn't even describe.

"It is. I timed them so you could have them before therapy and after." Deacon got up and got her medications.

"You are the best husband ever, baby." Rayna offered him a pain tinged smile.

"You make that part of my job easy. I wanna be the best for you." Deacon handed her the pills and a bottle of water.

"Rayna, for all of our future sessions I'm going to want you to take pain medication right before I come and some right after I leave." Dean packed up his gear.

"I can do that." Rayna took her pills.

"Dean, I'll see you out." Deacon offered.

"Thanks," Dean allowed the other man to show him out.

"Not a problem." Deacon smiled.

"I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but the doctor proscribed her two different types of pain killers. The light ones she's probably going through the candy. There are some that are a higher dosage. If she gets in unbearable pain during the day give them to her. And that's the one she's supposed to be taking at night. That way she may get a little more sleep." Dean explained to him.

"I actually didn't know that. Thank you for tellin' me." Deacon nodded his head and took that information in.

"Also, if you can get her to move around during the day and not just sit she will start to feel better sooner." Dean added.

"I'm workin' on that. This is her second full day at home and I'm tryin' to let her adjust." Deacon replied.

"The sooner you can get her back in her routine the better off she'll be." Dean shook his hand.

"That may not be as easy as you're tryin' to make it sound, but I'll do what I can." Deacon heaved a big sigh.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Dean told him.

"We will be here." Deacon shut the door behind him. He turned around and braced himself to have a conversation with his wife that he really didn't want to have.

"Babe, where's Maddie today? I didn't see her come down." Rayna inquired about her oldest daughter.

"She's still up in her bedroom sleepin'. So is Daphne for that matter. I've given up on school this week. She can start fresh next week." Deacon replied.

"That sounds like a good plan. Maddie on the other hand is another matter. I can't get her to talk to me about what's wrong with her and we saved her from getting fired once I'm not sure we can do it again." Rayna sighed.

"We will figure somethin' out with Maddie. You know she's a lot more like me than I ever knew. She goes inside herself when somethin' is botherin' her." Deacon shrugged stiffly.

"I've always known how much alike ya'll are." Rayna observed his rigid posture. "Babe, you look tense. Is somethin' wrong?"

Deacon eased down on the couch next to her and put his hand on her knee. "We need to talk 'bout some stuff that might be hard for you. Like we need to decide if we really wanna keep all this security 'round. And there a couple people who are comin' over today to talk to you 'bout Carl."

"Deacon, if it's the same to you I rather not talk about him ever again." Rayna ran her hands over her face.

"I know, baby, but this is somethin' that we gotta deal with. You told me in the hospital that this is the scariest thing you've ever been through, but you could get through 'cause you've got me by your side." Deacon spoke to her soothingly.

"Babe, if I could get away with never thinkin' about him again I'd do it. I get what you're saying though. I want to make sure that he goes away for a long time. Who is coming and when?" Rayna relented.

"Some detectives wanna talk to you and they should be here any minute." Deacon answered at the same time the intercom went off.

"Mr. Claybourne, there are two police officers here." The security man reported.

"I guess you better go get that." Rayna gave him a weak smile.

Deacon jumped up and pressed the intercom button. "Send them in." He headed to open the door.

Rayna sat up on the couch when Deacon came back in trailed by two detectives. One was a tall bald man in his forties and the other was a young woman.

"Ms. Jaymes, I'm Detective Banks and this is my partner Detective Jordan." The man introduced them.

"Thank you for seeing us today. I know that you're trying to recover." Detective Jordan added.

"I'd just like to put this behind me so I can get on with my life. If talkin' to ya'll makes that happen faster I'm gonna do it." Rayna retorted.

"Have a seat and let's see if we can't get somethin' settled." Deacon plastered a fake smile on his face. He sat next to Rayna and took her hand.

"Ms. Jaymes," Detective Banks began.

"Please call me Rayna." Rayna insisted. If she was going to have to sit through this she didn't want it to be so formal.

"Rayna, then, we need you to take us through what happened that night." Detective Banks continued.

"I'll be honest a lot of it is still fuzzy. It comes back to me in bits and pieces. I went to the office to get some work done and then he just came out of nowhere. He had a knife. He said that he didn't want to hurt me that the knife was dull. He said something about I was the only person who really understood him. I talked to him I kept him distracted while I called the police. I was so focused on getting home to my girls that I said things to keep him calm." Rayna recalled as best she could. She squeezed Deacon's hand tightly.

"Like what?" Detective Jordan asked gently.

"He told me that he liked to be called Wayne. I asked him if that was his middle name and he seemed pleased that I knew that. I told him that it was because my husband went by his middle name. Of course, that's not true, but it worked." Rayna kept talking.

Deacon looked surprised. She hadn't told him that. "Do you have what you need from her?"

"That should do it, actually. It's a place to start. If we need anything else from her we will let you know." Detective Banks answered.

"There's no chance of him gettin' out on bail this time is there?" Deacon asked.

"Uh, it's highly unlikely. The judge will either deny bail or it will be set so high he won't be able to come up with the money." Detective Banks assured him.

"So, do you think it would be safe to get rid of this intensive security detail?" Deacon needed to help his family by making sure things got back to normal.

"Hold off on that until the bail hearing, Mr. Claybourne. Just to be safe, but like my partner said it's highly unlikely that Hockney will be able to make bail. And there's little chance of him getting of prison for a long time." Detective Jordan tried to reassure them.

"Rayna, Deacon, where are you?" Tandy called when she walked in the kitchen door.

"In the living room, Tandy." Rayna called back.

Tandy looked shocked when she saw the two detectives. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's alright. They were just gettin' ready to leave." Deacon told his sister-in-law.

"Before you go, I have just one question for you." Tandy crossed her arms over her chest.

"We will try to answer that the best we can." Detective Banks replied.

"Is it standard procedure to run traffic lights and almost get the people you're trying to protect killed?" Tandy stared them down.

"Tandy!" Rayna tried to call her sister down.

"The officers were doing what they thought was best given the situation." Detective Jordan tried to placate her.

"What they thought was best almost got my sister killed. Our mother died in a car accident, so that's a bit of a sore subject for us. You're lucky that she doesn't sue your asses from here to kingdom come." Tandy flared.

"I understand your frustrations." Detective Jordan replied.

Rayna put her hand over her mouth and stifled a yawn.

"If ya'll don't mind gettin' outta here my wife needs her rest." Deacon stepped in before the situation could get any worse.

"We will see ourselves out." Detective Banks got to his feet and waited for his partner to do the same. They left without another word.

"Babe, do you wanna sit up in here or do you wanna go to your room and take a nap?" Deacon asked.

"Actually, I'd really love to go lay down for a little bit." Rayna's voice was tinged with pain.

"Don't get used to this, but I know those pills hit you hard." Deacon gently gathered her up in his arms and carried her to her makeshift bedroom.

* * *

Tandy knocked lightly on the doorjamb of the den a couple hours later. "Hey, you're awake." She spoke softly to her sister.

"Yeah, I don't get to sleep too long with the pain." Rayna winced as she adjusted herself into a sitting position.

"Deacon is spending some quality time with the girls. I was hoping I could do the same with you." Tandy walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. She was holding a photo album in her hand.

"We can do that. Do you wanna tell what the hell that outburst was about earlier?" Rayna arched her eyebrow.

"I'd say I'm sorry about that, but I'm not. With mom and dad both gone you and the girls are the only family that I have left. They should have been more careful with you. I know that it was an accident and they didn't do it on purpose, but I almost lost my baby sister." Tandy explained to her.

Rayna nodded her head in acceptance of that. "In your shoes I probably would have done the same thing." She looked at the photo album her sister had. "What's that?"

"Pictures of mom. I thought we could look at them together if you're feeling up to it." Tandy suggested.

"I would like that a lot. Tandy, I'm telling you that day in the hospital it felt so real. If I had to bet my life on it mom was sitting there in the room with me talking to me. It could be how close I came to death, but I know I'm not crazy. I really think she was preparing me for the possibility that I wasn't going to make it. Thinking about it now I get a chill. I was working on a song with Deacon and I told her that I was trying to find a hook. She said maybe this song is finished or something like that. I think she meant my song was over." Rayna rambled.

"With as close as you and mom I wouldn't be surprised if she was there to help you. Let's not think about that though. Let's focus on the fact you're alive and take a trip down memory lane." Tandy laid the photo album down on the bed and opened it.

"Wow, I always thought that Maddie looked like Deacon, but she looks so much like mom, doesn't she?" Rayna's eyes teared up.

"She really does. She's got mom and Deacon in her that's why she's so difficult." Tandy chuckled lightly.

"Thank you for getting along so well with him by the way. I know that he isn't your favorite person in the world. It means a lot to me that you've been there for him." Rayna took her hand and squeezed it.

"Well, you're my favorite person and his favorite person, so we got along to help you. If you tell him I said this I will deny it, but I'm so impressed with how well he's held everything together. He's been nothing short of amazing with you and the girls. He's taken care of everything around here and at the office. If he has a question about something he should or shouldn't do he asks me. When you're better you and I are going to discuss this whole Zach situation. I've been to the office and I don't trust this guy Rayna." Tandy squeezed her hand back.

"My back was against the wall. I did what I thought I had to do. Now that I've had time to think about it maybe it wasn't such a great idea." Rayna admitted. There were just little things that Zach did that bothered her.

He was supposed to be a minority shareholder and he tried to call way too many of the shots. It was still her label. He had come in and all, but taken over. She would have to do something about that eventually. Right now, she didn't even want to think about the office. She didn't know how she was ever going to be able to go back there after what had happened. It wasn't something she would have to worry about until she was getting around better, but it still weighed on her.

* * *

Rayna laid on her side with her arm around Daphne. She stroked her hair gently and kissed her head. "Alright, my little barnacle baby, you're off the hook about school for the rest of the week, but next week you're going back. I know that you want to be around to help and I appreciate that so much, but it's time for you to go back. I will be here waiting for you every day when you come home. I promise you I'm ok now."

"That's what we thought when you were in the hospital then you almost died, mom." Daphne clung to her tighter.

"Sweet girl, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. I'm still here though, it is gonna take a lot more than that to keep me away from you, Maddie, and Deacon. You three are the great loves of my life and I will always fight like hell to be with you." Rayna pressed another kiss to her head.

"That's what Deacon said when he told me I have to go back to school. You're fine and he's not going to let anything happen to you. I was scared and I still am." Daphne admitted to her.

"It's ok to be scared. What we all just went through was very scary. You'd have to be a crazy person to not be scared." Rayna breathed in her scent. Her baby wasn't a baby anymore she was a young woman now.

"How come the scary things keep happening to us? First you were in a coma, then dad got cancer, Aunt Bev died, and now you almost died." Maddie said from the doorway.

Rayna waved her over. "Come here, my love."

Maddie crawled into bed on the other side of her mother.

Rayna shifted to her back gingerly. "Put your head on my shoulder. I have one for both of ya." She put an arm around each of her daughters. "I don't know why the scary stuff keeps happening to us. I guess this is God's way of making sure that we can handle it. So far I don't think we've done half bad. It could be his way of showing us that we are better together. Though, I think that lesson is meant more for your dad and me than ya'll."

Maddie buried her face in Rayna's neck and started crying like her heart was breaking.

"Oh, Maddie, what's wrong, baby girl?" Rayna hated seeing her in so much pain.

"I was horrible to you. I was horrible to all of you. I at least apologized to dad when you told me to. I never apologized to you for the emancipation thing or for leaving to begin with. I left the hospital because I couldn't take it. You almost died and I wasn't there. If you had died I wouldn't have gotten a chance to say goodbye to you, because I was being selfish again. I'm so sorry, mom. I never meant to hurt you. I just thought you didn't understand me." Maddie cried harder.

"Listen up and this goes for both of you. There is nothing either of you can ever do that I won't still love you. I know how much you love me too. I carried you both for nine months I know you better than you know yourselves. Maddie, you are so much like I was at that age. You have my will and your dad's passion for life. You are a force of a nature and whoever tries to tame you is only gonna end up gettin' hurt. Whether you mean for them to or not. I was at fault too I should have listened to what you were tryin' to tell me. I did to you what my daddy did to me even if it was accidentally. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with you I've only ever tried to do what was best for you no matter who it made unhappy myself included." Rayna pressed a kiss to her head.

"I should have made you listen and not been such a brat. I know that I can tell you anything. I shouldn't have listened to someone telling me that you were trying to stand in my way and didn't want to see me succeed. I know that's not true and I knew it when I was doing it. But I wasn't as horrible to you as I was to dad. I lied and used the reason he wasn't told he was my father to begin with against him just to get my way. I can see it when he looks at me he's still hurt even though I said I was sorry." Maddie cried with a hiccupping sob.

"I was in the same boat at your age. Your pawpaw told me I could live by his rules or get out. I left. He was asking me to abandon Deacon and music I couldn't do that. That's also how I know just how difficult it is in this business for a young woman your age. Your daddy is still upset with you, because you basically said that he is his daddy." Rayna held tight to both her daughters no matter how many shooting pains went through her body.

"What do you mean, mom?" Daphne had a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Maddie was just as confused as her sister.

"This is Deacon's truth and he needs to tell you in depth, but I'll give you the gist of it. His daddy was an abusive drunk. He beat your dad, your mawmaw, and your Aunt Bev for no other reason than because he could. So, Maddie, when you got up in court and said that you would be afraid in the same house as him in his eyes he became JD Claybourne. He fought his whole life not to be him." Rayna told them.

"I had no idea, dad never said anything to me about it." Maddie only cried harder at that news.

"He didn't want you to know or he didn't know how to tell you. His words to me were he didn't know how to tell someone so beautiful and innocent about something so ugly. So, yeah, he's still hurt even though you apologized. Maybe you just show him a little extra love and it'll help the hurt fade. He loves you so much. He loves you both so much. I ain't going anywhere, but if something happened to me you'd still have your dad. He would move mountains for his girls." Rayna made sure to address them as she spoke. She knew that Deacon loved Daphne like his own.

Neither of the girls said anything they just laid there with her.

"What do you say we watch some of that trashy day time tv that Deacon makes fun of me for?" Rayna suggested to lighten the mood.

Both the girls nodded.

An hour later Deacon came in and found both his daughters sleeping and his wife wide awake. "You hurtin'? You want me to move 'em?"

"I'm in so much pain, but no I don't want you to move them." Rayna offered him a weak smile.

"I brought pain medication." Deacon put two pills in her mouth and then held a straw up to her lips so she could drink.

"Thank you, baby." Rayna pointed to her lips in a sign that she wanted a kiss.

Deacon kissed her softly and then he arranged the covers so all three of his girls were covered up. "That's what I'm here for."

Rayna reached out almost frantically and grabbed his hand.

"What is it, Ray? Is everythin' ok?" Deacon looked panicked and concerned.

Rayna nodded, "Everything is fine, but I want paperwork, Deacon. These are your daughters too. I just almost died and I didn't redo my will after we got married. If something had happened to me you would have had to fight to keep your daughters. I want to make you Daphne's legal guardian and I want to fix Maddie's birth certificate to reflect you as her father."

"Just calm down, baby, everything is ok. We will go to the lawyer and have that done. This isn't anything that can't be fixed. We will get the paperwork you want." Deacon kissed her forehead.

"I mean it, Deacon. I want it done as soon as possible. Both these little girls love you so much. And for my peace of mind I need to know that no one will be able to take them away from you." Rayna looked at him imploringly.

"I'll call the lawyer first thing tomorrow and have him come over. Then you can have him fix draw up any papers that you want. Right now, I want to sit here with my three girls until dinner is ready and just be thankful that we are all here together." Deacon drug a chair up to the side of the bed. He gave both Maddie and Daphne a kiss on the head and kissed Rayna's lips. He sat down and took her hand again.

Rayna breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, baby."

"It's nothin'. This is my job. You were strong for me for so long. It's my turn to return the favor." Deacon grinned at her and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I'm sorry," Rayna whispered softly a distant sadness in her eyes.

"Hey, where's your head at? What are you sorry for now?" Deacon tried to make a joke out of it.

"I'm sorry that I kept Maddie from you when she was a baby. That's the biggest regret of my life. I let you think that it was your fault that I kept you two apart, but that was my choice. I could have and should have told you that she was yours. I understand now that you didn't go out drinkin' because you found out you were a father you did it because I had lied to you. I know that I was the person you trusted above all else after the shitty childhood you had. I should have known if you found out you were her father from anyone, but me you would have gone off the rails. That accident wasn't your fault either. I was the one driving and trying to argue with your stubborn ass." Rayna felt the overwhelming need to tell him that. She'd almost died with him thinking that that she didn't think he was a good father. Hell, she'd almost let him die thinking that. She should have told him before his transplant.

"Just calm down and relax, Ray. Let your pill kick in. You're all wound up right now. You don't need to be you're still here and I'm still here. We have the rest of our lives to rehash old bullshit." Deacon tried to sooth her.

"Deacon, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but you're a good daddy to both our daughters." Rayna squeezed his hand.

Deacon put his free hand up to his eyes and let out a strangled sob. "Christ, Ray,"

"I should have told you that a long time ago, well I'm tellin' you now. You're a damn good daddy and our girls are so lucky to have you." Rayna cried with him.

Deacon leaned over and kissed her fiercely. "I love you so damn much, woman."

Rayna crashed her lips against his. "I love you so damn much too, man."

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. For a change I actually have this whole story mostly mapped out, so you'll be getting very regular updates. I'm going to incorporate stuff from the second half of season five, but with a twist. And then I will continue on from there and give you a glimpse of their future together. I'm in this for the long haul if you guys are. Until next time please review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 3

Rayna thrashed around in bed. "No, no, please get away from me." She called out in her sleep.

Deacon jumped up from the recliner he slept in beside her bed. He ran his hand through her hair soothingly. He could feel that she was covered in a clammy sweat. "Ray, wake up, baby. You're havin' a nightmare." He shook her gently. He didn't want to jar her body any more than it had already been.

Rayna sat and her eyes flew open. She took a gasping breath. She put her hand on her chest trying to calm down.

"It's ok, baby, I'm right here. You're ok. It was just a bad dream." Deacon got into bed with her and held her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. It just felt so real." Rayna laid her head on his chest.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Deacon ran his hand up and down her back.

"Would you be offended if I said no?" Rayna looked up at him.

"I wouldn't be. This ain't somethin' I can force you to talk 'bout. When you're ready to talk to me you will." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you for being so understanding, baby." Rayna kissed his chest.

"That's what I'm here for. It's only midnight that's still pretty early. Do you wanna try to go back to sleep? We can go sit up. I can give you a pain pill that has a higher dosage than the others and is supposed to help you sleep." Deacon offered her a list of options.

"If you're not too tired of dealing with me I'd really like to go sit in the other room. It's so damn depressing in here." Rayna replied.

"I could never get too tired of you. Do you wanna use the walker, the wheelchair, or have me carry you?" Deacon smiled at her.

"A girl can't argue with bein' swept off her feet can she?" Rayna grinned mischievously.

"Since you're my girl I ain't gonna disappoint you." Deacon slid out from under her. He slid one arm under her back and the other one under her knees. He picked her up like she weighed nothing.

Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are my knight in shinin' pickup truck." She kissed him softly.

"I couldn't think of a thing I rather be." He sat on down on the couch and turned the tv on.

"I don't know how I'd get through this without you." She told him.

"You ain't gonna have to find out." He went into the kitchen and grabbed some of her medications and a bottle of water.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Your antibiotic and one of those pain pills I was tellin' you 'bout. I'm sure you need it. It's been six hours since you had anythin'." Deacon sat down next to her.

"I'm feelin' how long it's been since I had somethin' for the pain. This is worse than childbirth." Rayna tossed the pills in her mouth and chased them with a drink of water.

"So, what do you wanna do? I can put on a movie or we can play cards." Deacon asked her.

"I'm gonna give you another chance to salvage your dignity. Go get the poker set." Rayna smirked.

"Cut the cards, woman. I ain't so sure you ain't cheatin' me tonight. You're even gettin' good cards when you ain't the dealer." Deacon grumbled an hour later.

"You still gonna try to sell me that lie that you let me win?" Rayna laughed at him.

"It's my deal. I'll get you this time." Deacon dealt a new hand.

Rayna studied her cards. She picked up four chips and threw them into the middle of the table. "It'll cost you four to see the flop, honey."

"I'll play along." Deacon threw in four chips.

"You just can't help yourself." Rayna laughed at him.

Deacon turned three cards over and laid them down on the table. "You cursed this deck. That's the only explanation for this." He groaned.

"You can't handle it that you're the one who taught me how to play poker and now I'm better than you." Rayna called him out.

Before he could reply the front door opened and then closed again.

"What are you two doing?" Maddie asked when she walked into the living room.

"Your momma couldn't sleep and we decided to play cards." Deacon explained.

"You guys are so weird." Daphne had just come down from upstairs and headed into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and looked for something to eat.

"We ain't weird. We've been doing this for a long time." Rayna corrected her.

"Daph, I'm starving is there anything in there to eat?" Maddie asked hopefully.

"There's nothing in here that doesn't have to be cooked." Daphne reported.

"Great, not only do we have to cook we have to clean up a mess." Maddie rolled her eyes.

"I have an idea." Deacon spoke up.

"What is it, dad?" Maddie asked.

"If we ain't too weird for ya'll to hang out with I know a place that's open late and will deliver." Deacon replied.

"The place we used to order from when we lived in East Nashville?" Rayna's face lit up with a smile.

"That's the place." Deacon confirmed.

"Ya'll come in here. Your dad is gonna order us some food. And we will teach you how to play poker while we eat." Rayna waved her daughters into the room.

"Mom, where did you learn to play poker? It just doesn't seem like your kind of game." Daphne sat next to her mother.

"About a million years ago Deacon and his best friend Vince taught me how to play." Rayna answered her.

"Who's Vince?" Maddie wrinkled her forehead up.

"Baby, why don't you tell 'em 'bout Vince while I order food?" Deacon suggested. He took his phone out.

"That sounds perfect to me." Rayna squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

"So, who's Vince?" Daphne asked.

"Vince was Deacon's very best friend and the original drummer in my band. He died in a car accident about a year or so before Maddie was born. He was one of the good guys. I loved him like a brother and he teased me like I was his baby sister. Deacon taught me how to play poker and then he taught me different things I took what they both taught me and used it against them. Neither of them ever quite forgave for getting better than they were." Rayna laughed softly. She was glad that she could go down memory lane now without being sad.

"She figured out how to cheat the both of us is what she did." Deacon corrected her.

"Dad, is that the friend that you were in the car when he wrecked?" Maddie remembered that from when she had taken them to court.

"Yeah, that was Vince. He woulda been your godfather and my best man when I married your momma had he lived. I like to think he's part of the reason she's still here with us. If he's watchin' over anyone it'd be her. He always did look after her for me when I couldn't. He's also why I better never hear that either of my girls got in the car with someone who's been drinkin'. I want you to know that you can always call me to come get ya no matter what. I'll drop whatever I'm doin' and come get ya no questions asked." Deacon laid down the law.

"That goes double for me. Don't worry about getting in trouble we rather you call us." Rayna added.

"You two can be an after school special sometimes." Maddie shook her head and laughed.

"Just listen to us, ok? I ain't jokin' 'bout this thing." Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"Deacon, what did you get us to eat?" Daphne changed the subject.

"I got us some of the best junk food in the city." Deacon winked at her.

"He's not kidding about that. We used to order from this place all the time." Rayna backed him up.

* * *

"You look like you've been up all night partying." Tandy sat a cup of coffee down on the counter in front of Deacon.

"Your baby sister couldn't sleep last night and she kept me up playing cards. Then the girls came down and we had some cheap take out together. It was pretty damn perfect." Deacon smiled his thanks for the coffee and took a sip.

"She's still in too much pain to sleep? Deacon, I think you should talk to the doctor about that." Tandy gave him a concerned look.

"I have a higher dose pain killer that I can give her and I gave her one last night, but she must have been in so much pain it didn't even make her groggy. Did I miss the physical therapist?" Deacon informed her.

"He's been here and he left. She wanted to let you sleep and I thought it was a good idea. You are no good to any of your girls burned out. You asked me here to help let me help." Tandy surprised them both by laying a gentle hand on top of his.

"I'm a little surprised we ain't butted heads yet." Deacon smiled warmly.

"On this one thing we are on the same side. We just want to see her get better and protect those girls. Truthfully, I can't fault with the way that you've been handling things." Tandy told him.

"But, that don't mean you don't think I won't screw things up eventually." Deacon made a joke out of it.

"Oh, I can count on that. You're both good at screwing things up and making trouble for me. I don't think you're going to purposefully do anything to hurt my sister or nieces though." Tandy patted his hand.

"You may not believe this, but we have both grown up. I know that we've haven't always been the easiest people to deal with." Deacon was willing to grant her that point.

"And I would be extremely lucky to ever feel for anyone what you two feel for each other. I understand it now, you're both so damn passionate that you can't help fighting as fiercely as you love." Tandy figured that she could throw him a bone by being nice to him after how incredible he'd been with Rayna the last few weeks.

Deacon cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Where's my wife?"

"She has a visitor. I gave her the pain medicine she was supposed to have after Dean left. If she behaves herself I've promised her that she can walk out to the mailbox later. I thought you might want to go into the office and check on things." Tandy answered.

"I'll see. Bucky has things pretty well under control and he's keepin' me in the loop. I'm sure he's probably got you looped in too. I'll let you look over whatever came in overnight and I'll ever let you tell what I should do about it. Who is here?" Deacon returned her kindness.

"Someone who would probably like to see you too. She's in the front room where the piano is." Tandy informed him.

"Are you ok to handle the girls if I go in there?" Deacon asked.

"If you were up as late as you say you were those girls won't be up for a while yet. However, they are my nieces and I know exactly how to handle them. Go be with your wife." Tandy waved him away.

"Well, hey, Watty, it's really great to see you. I didn't know that you were gonna be here today." Deacon greeted his old friend enthusiastically.

"I wanted to come over and check on Songbird. I didn't want her to think that I forgot about her. I also told her to stop trying to follow in Virginia's footsteps that way." Watty stood up and gave him a hug.

"She assures me that this will be the last time she tries anythin' like that. I tend to believe her, but then again I've always had a blind spot where she's concerned." Deacon patted the older man's back.

"She's right here and can hear what both of you are saying." Rayna glared at them.

"Deacon, you've just had the pleasure of meeting Virginia Jaymes. In case you didn't know that's where she gets the temper, the sarcasm, and the grace." Watty teased lightly.

"I think I've known from the moment I met her that she's like her momma. It's only when she goes into Highway Sixty-Five and starts gettin' devious that I think she's anythin' like Lamar. I like to think that he's rollin' over in his grave over the fact we're married." Deacon sat next to Rayna.

"That's enough outta you." Rayna slapped his chest playfully.

"Rayna tells me that you two are working on a concept album." Watty changed the subject.

"We are almost done with a concept album. We just have to tweak a few songs and cut a couple others." Deacon replied.

"If you need any help with that you let me know." Watty told them. He was the one who was responsible for them hooking up musically and personally.

"We really appreciate that, Watty. We may have you come in when we get back in the studio. It just seems right to have the man who was there at the start of our career there when we finish up our first joint album." Rayna grinned. The more she thought about it the more she fell in love with the idea.

Deacon's cell phone rang and he grabbed it. "Excuse me for a second, ya'll. I have to take this." He walked out the room before he answered the phone. "This is Deacon."

"Deacon, this is Zach." Zach's voice came over the line.

"What can I do for you, Zach?" Deacon tried to keep the distaste out of his voice when he said the younger man's name.

"This is about your and Rayna's album. I was hoping that you would tell that you're either ready to release the whole thing or at least a single." Zach replied.

"My wife is recovering from an accident that almost took her life. The last thing on my mind right now is that stupid album. We do have most of the songs done though. I'll talk to her and see which one she wants to release as a single." Deacon bit his lip to keep from saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Can I come over and talk to her about it? I think the sooner you issue a single or a statement to the press the better off we will be." Zach tried to reason with him.

"Zach, don't take this the wrong way, but you're one of the last people I want over here right now. If you need somethin' you talk to me or Bucky. Rayna is tryin' to recover. Or even better if you absolutely have to deal with someone who knows their way around the boardroom you can call my sister-in-law. Tandy would love to deal with whatever problem you have." Deacon let a little anger seep into his voice.

"Deacon, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. This is just business." Zach argued.

"Right now everythin' else goes on the backburner while I get Rayna better. If you wanna help then you will help me do that. Act like you're a businessman and not some kid with a lot of money who just wanted a shiny new toy to play with." Deacon retorted before he hung up. He really didn't have the patience to deal with Zach.

"Babe, who was that on the phone?" Rayna asked. Watty had left while he was on the phone.

"That was your supposedly silent partner. He wanted to know when we were gonna be finished with the album. I told him that we would talk it over and decide what we wanted to release as a single." Deacon reported to her. If he tried to keep her in the dark she would only get pissed at him.

"My Favorite Hurricane. We've got that one down. I don't want to go into the studio on a walker. Maybe when I graduate to a cane I will think about it. Or we can try to record something in the studio here. I just don't want to sound terrible, because I'm so tired." Rayna replied.

"Your only job right now is to worry about gettin' better. I don't want you thinkin' 'bout anythin' else." Deacon gave her a kiss to calm her down.

"You're really too good to me sometimes, baby." Rayna smiled against his lips and kissed him again.

* * *

"Oh, my God!" Maddie squealed after she hung up her phone.

"Maddie, what's goin' on?" Deacon looked up from the paperwork he was trying to do.

"Maddie, is something wrong?" Rayna stared into the kitchen over the back of the couch.

"I just got an offer to go do one of the late shows because of my performance at the awards' show the other night." Maddie reported.

"Baby girl, I am so proud of you." Deacon got to his feet and hugged his daughter tightly.

"Maddie, that is amazing." Rayna used her walker to make the trek into the kitchen.

"I'm so excited I don't even know what to say." Maddie felt very overwhelmed.

"I think we need to find someone to go with you. It's not that I don't think you can handle yourself. It's that I would feel better if you had someone with you." Rayna chewed on her bottom lip.

"I guess we could get Tandy to go with her." Deacon mused.

"I don't know, Deacon. You need Tandy here to help you." Rayna eased herself down onto a stool.

"I guess it might be time to call one of the many people we know and can trust to take care of her." Deacon sighed.

He didn't get a chance to pursue that thought train because there was a knock on the side door. Juliette walked in without waiting for anyone to open the door.

"Maddie, I just heard that they want you to go to New York. I came to volunteer my services." Juliette said by way of greeting.

"I guess that solves that problem." Rayna chuckled.

"You wouldn't mind takin' her?" Deacon double checked.

"I wouldn't mind at all. You and Rayna have both been really great to me. I will take care of her and I will make sure she stays out of trouble." Juliette assured him.

"I don't know that now is a really good time for me to leave. Dad has Aunt Tandy, but he needs more help with mom and Daphne." Maddie sounded unsure.

"Maddie, go, I want you to go. I can do more for myself than your dad thinks I can right now." Rayna gave her a reassuring smile.

"I guess I better go pack then." Maddie gave Juliette a huge hug. "Thank you so much, Juliette." She ran off to go pack.

"Juliette, you just made that girl's day. We really appreciate this." Deacon told her.

"This is better than what she was doing a few months ago. I thought if it's ok with you and Rayna I could sorta act as her manager until Rayna is well enough to handle that." Juliette replied.

"That's fine with me. That would be a really big help." Rayna agreed with that. Juliette had grown up a lot since she'd met her and she trusted her to keep her daughter safe.

"At least you know I won't encourage her to run away from home or let anything bad happen to her." Juliette replied.

"Just don't let her go off and sign with some label that's not gonna have her best interests at heart." Deacon pleaded with her.

"I'll make sure to let her know that I think for right now she's not gonna get any better deal than signing with the label her mother runs. It's a good stepping stone for her at any rate." Juliette promised him.

"You are being a life saver right now. If we tried to tell her that she would just rebel." Rayna shook her head. She couldn't really say anything because she had been the same way.

* * *

Zach had decided that the single they wanted to release for their concept album wasn't good enough and he'd kept pushing them to get the complete album out. Deacon had wrestled back and forth with the problem until the solution had presented itself.

"Rayna, do you like how this scratch track sounds or do you want to go in the booth and record new vocals?" Avery looked up from the controls of Rayna's in home studio.

All of Highway Sixty-Five's artists were gathered there to show Rayna and Deacon their support.

"You know I have a wild idea." Rayna smiled.

"All ideas are welcome." Avery replied.

"Let's keep my scratch tracks for the two songs we have to finish. I want ya'll each to take a portion of one of the songs then Deacon can go in and add his vocals to the other. It'll give it this raw feeling." Rayna explained what she wanted.

"Damn, babe, that's a great idea." Deacon agreed with her.

"I do have those every now and then." Rayna put her arm around his waist.

Deacon leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You're in a lot of pain, aren't you? Let me get you a pill."

Rayna nodded her head. "Give me the weak ones."

Deacon went and got her medicine. "Here you go."

"Thanks, love," Rayna took the pills.

They worked all through the night and completed the album. Deacon and everyone other than Rayna went into the office the next morning to give the finished product to Zach.

"This is incredible. Those songs that you used the scratch tracks for I don't even know what to say about them they are so good." Zach clapped his hands after he'd heard the whole thing.

"That was Rayna's idea. She thought that would make it seem more raw and real. I don't argue with her when it comes to things like that. I handle the arrangements of songs. She tells me what she wants and I make it happen." Deacon informed him.

"That's why you two are some of the best in the business. She understands that this was just a business decision, right? How is she doing?" Zach replied.

"The way you should have said that Zach is, how is she? And does she understand this is just business?" Deacon leveled him with a cold look.

"Of course," Zach sighed.

"She's gettin' better. She's still in so much pain though." Deacon reported.

"That's what her sister said after she had a few choice words for me. She really knows what she's doing though. I really wish that I could make you understand that I don't want to do anything to hurt Rayna. I only want to help her succeed. Now is the time to release this album while her name is still in the news. We have to capitalize on that." Zach explained himself.

"Zach, there's a correct way to do it and then there's the way you did it. You didn't have to demand it. If you woulda just explained yourself we woulda worked somethin' out. Everythin' doesn't have to be done right this minute. A single woulda been fine. I will concede that with the scratch tracks this album turned into somethin' special, but you gotta learn to be patient." Deacon spoke to him calmly.

"Right," Zach nodded his head.

"If there's nothin' else. I wanna get the girls home to their momma. I know she's fine with her sister, but if I don't have eyes on her I worry." Deacon got up from the table.

He put an arm around both the girls as they walked back to his truck.

"Dad, maybe we should stop at the store and get mom her favorite ice cream." Daphne suggested.

"And while we do that we can order her lunch from her favorite place." Maddie added.

Deacon kissed them both on the temple. "That's a great idea. She will love that. I'm so proud of your girls." His heart swelled with love for his daughters. They had really stepped up in a big way to help their mother.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. I'm blown away by your responses to this story. They mean so much to me. Until next time please review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 4

"Here is all your medication. I made you some toast, so there'd be somethin' on your stomach and you don't get sick." Scarlett sat a tray down in front of Rayna.

"Thank you. I'm sorry that you got stuck on babysitting duty today. Deacon and Tandy went down to the office, Daphne is at school, and Maddie is at work." Rayna smiled her thanks.

"It's no big deal. You babysat Uncle Deacon for years. It's only fair that I return the favor." Scarlett smiled back.

"Believe it or not I'm capable of being alone. Your uncle just doesn't see that." Rayna took her pills and nibbled on the toast.

"He is pretty crazy about you and he went out of his mind when he thought you were gonna die. He's keepin' an extra close eye on you until he's sure you're not gonna go anywhere." Scarlett sat down across from her.

"I know what he thought and he's been nothing short of amazing. I feel bad for putting him through all this." Rayna replied.

"Rayna, I don't think this will bother you, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Would you mind if we focused on me for a minute?" Scarlett asked hopefully.

Rayna threw her head back and laughed. "I don't mind talkin' 'bout someone else at all, right now. Honey, it doesn't always have to be about me. Tell me what's on your mind. I can see the storm clouds in your eyes. You're a lot like Deacon that way."

"I'm pregnant and either Gunnar is the father or Damien is. I don't really see how it could be Damien, but you never know." Scarlett told her the secret she had been holding in.

"Wow, that's big news, Scarlett. How do you feel about it? Who do you want to be the father?" Rayna asked her.

"I'm happy, but I'm scared at the same time. Honestly, I don't know who I want the father to be. It would be easier for everyone if Gunnar was the father. I don't even know Damien. He was just supposed to be a good time." Scarlett leaned over with her elbows on her knees and sighed.

"Sweetheart, I know how difficult this position is for you." Rayna told her sympathetically.

"If you were me what would you do?" Scarlett asked her.

"Honey, I'm the last person you want to ask that question. We both know what I did in your place. I made a mistake and I hurt two of the three people I love the most in this world. I was alone and scared, and I was afraid my baby's father was gonna drink himself to death before her first birthday." Rayna shifted herself around to get comfortable.

"I'm askin' you because you've seen the outcome of your decision. You have the wisdom and the hindsight now. And I thought that you didn't know at first that Deacon was the father." Scarlett looked confused.

"That was I lie I let myself believe to absolve myself of any guilt for my decision. I knew the minute the stick turned blue that Deacon was the father. Teddy was eager to marry me and I let him believe that there was a greater chance of him being the father than there was. I can't tell you what to do, Scarlett. I can tell you this though, you aren't confined to Gunnar or Damien as options. Above everythin' else this is your baby and you don't have to be with either of them to be a good momma. You have that advantage on me. Back then I didn't have the option of being a single mother." Rayna advised her.

"If you had it to do all over again what would you do?" Scarlett asked.

"If I had it to do all over again I would have been braver. I would have chose myself and Maddie. I would have told Deacon that he was on his last chance to clean up. If he wanted to be a father he had to get sober and stay sober. I wouldn't have married Teddy either. I have to believe that Daphne was meant to be here and I would have had her either way. Comin' close to dyin' really puts things into focus. I wasn't so much of my life with a man I wasn't that happy with." Rayna answered her.

"Didn't you come to love Teddy over time?" Scarlett asked her.

Rayna took a breath to give her a moment to collect her thoughts. "I loved Teddy for what he did for me and Maddie. I loved him for bein' an amazing father to our girls, but no I wasn't in love with him. It took me a long time to realize that I didn't have to be head over heels in love with him for the same to be true when it came to my daughter. I felt like half my heart was missin' for thirteen years while I was married to him. That situation wasn't fair to anyone."

"I just have no idea what to do." Scarlett buried her face in her hands.

"Since, the odds are in Gunnar's favor you tell him first and then you go from there. There's tests they can do now to find out for sure who the father is before the baby is born. If he's not the father then you call Damien and you tell him. You are under no obligation to be with either of them just because you're comfortable with Gunnar or in Damien's case if he's the face. If the baby isn't Gunnar's and he wants to be with you and stand beside you let him, but only if it's because you love him. There's nothin' that says he can't help you raise this baby if that's what you want. But, make sure that all your cards are out on the table from the start. Keepin' secrets will only hurt your child and that's the last thing that you want to do." Rayna gave her opinion.

"I thought you weren't gonna tell me what to do?" Scarlett gave her a half smile.

"I didn't tell you what to do, I gave you advice. I wish that I'd had someone to do that for me when I was in your shoes. My sister only wanted me away from Deacon. She didn't care how she made that happen as long as it happened. Teddy meant well, but in the end, it wasn't for the best. Everyone that I love got hurt. Deacon broke thirteen years of sobriety. My biggest regret is that I didn't tell him and that when he did find out he didn't hear it from me. I spent a little while blamin' him for gettin' drunk, but I don't anymore. He trusted me more than he's ever trusted anyone and I lied to him for years. I let him take the brunt of the blame for that car accident and it wasn't his fault I was the one driving. Then after everything else I'd already done to him I made him get on national tv and say that he was a deadbeat dad. I honestly don't know why he fought so hard to be with me again." Rayna unburdened her soul.

"Wow, I had no idea you felt that way." Scarlett replied.

"Hell, it could be the pills or because you're opening up to me. You stick around long enough you'll have more than enough material to write a tell all book on Rayna Jaymes." Rayna made a joke of it.

"You're my aunt. I wouldn't do that to you." Scarlett assured her.

"I know that. I was just jokin'." Rayna smiled at her.

"Well, there are two of my girls." Deacon walked in from the kitchen door. He stopped to kiss Rayna and then he kissed the top of Scarlett's head. "What are ya'll up to?"

"Girl talk, babe." Rayna smiled at him and winked at Scarlett.

"Rayna was helpin' me out with a problem I have." Scarlett added.

"Are you ok? Is there anythin' I can do to help?" Deacon looked concerned.

"Uncle Deacon, I'm pregnant and I don't know if Gunnar or Damien is the father." Scarlett admitted. She just couldn't lie to him.

"You tell 'em both. There's no question 'bout that, but other than that you don't owe either of 'em anythin'. It's 'bout what's best for you and the baby after that. You tell 'em for the sake of your child. What you do after that gets to be for you." Deacon told her firmly.

"I told her pretty much the same thing, babe." Rayna took his hand.

"I guess we are startin' to think alike." Deacon smiled softly.

* * *

"Rayna, if you'll just look that over and sign it then it will be official." Rayna's lawyer pushed a document across the desk to her.

Rayna looked it over before she signed her name to it. "What about the other matter?"

"We got the DNA test that we had your husband take back from the lab and it confirmed that he's Maddie's father. We had her birth certificate amended to add that. He just needs to sign the papers to be made the girls' legal guardian in case something happens to you." The lawyer replied.

Deacon looked over the papers he was handed and he signed them. "That's it? It was as easy as that?"

"Mr. Claybourne, it's a pretty straight forward process." The lawyer explained to him.

"Is that all you need from us?" Rayna asked.

"In question to Maddie's birth certificate, did you want to establish Mr. Claybourne's paternal rights?" The lawyer asked.

Deacon looked at Rayna. That was up to her. He knew what he would like the answer to be.

Rayna stared into his eyes and she could see the pain there. She couldn't give him back all the time he'd lost with Maddie, but she could give him something else. "Yes, I want his paternal rights established and I want him to be recognized as Maddie's legal father."

Deacon's eyes went wide in shock. "Ray, you ain't gotta do that. Don't you wanna talk to Maddie first."

"No, I don't wanna talk to Maddie. I want this to be my decision. I took thirteen years away from you. I can't give that back to you, but I can let her spend her last year as a minor as your legal daughter. What she does after that is her decision." Rayna's mind was made up and she didn't want to hear any argument over it.

"If that's what you want then." Deacon went along with her wishes like he always did.

Fifteen minutes later Deacon helped Rayna into the passenger seat of the truck. It was easier for her get into than her SUV.

"Babe, you didn't have to do that back there." Deacon told her.

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. It's somethin' I've been thinkin' a lot 'bout since I woke up in the hospital. You deserve to have good things in your life, babe. I realize that for the last few years I've been makin' you prove yourself to me and I don't want you to do that anymore. You ain't less than I am. If you were I wouldn't be with you. I can promise you that Teddy wouldn't have handled this as well as you have. You're a good man, Deacon Claybourne, and I'm proud to call you my husband." Rayna cupped his face.

Deacon leaned over the seat and kissed her. "Where to now?"

"I think I would like to try to go to the office. I'm not ready to go back full time, but I want to give it a try." Rayna replied.

"We can do whatever you want." Deacon put the truck into gear.

"Knock that off too. It's not whatever I want. This marriage is a partnership and I wanna know what you think too. You get to make decisions for us too." Rayna put her foot down.

"That ain't as simple as you try to make it sound. You ain't ever tried tellin' yourself what to do. You're a damn mule." Deacon laughed. He drove them to the office. He stopped in front of the door. He got out and grabbed her walker out of the bed. He unfolded it and put it beside the door for her to grab on to.

Rayna shifted herself in the seat with a wince. A grimace of pain was on her face. She bit her lip to hold in a groan.

Deacon took both her hands and helped her slide down. He held on to the walker to keep it steady until she got her footing. "Take your time, easy does it."

Rayna nodded her head slowly. "I've got it." She moved with slow determination to the front door.

Deacon held the door open for her.

A young assistant saw Rayna walk in and his eyes went wide. "Ms. Jaymes, we didn't expect you in today. I can make you coffee and bring it to your office."

"I'll get her damn coffee. You can go park my truck." Deacon corrected her.

"Whatever you want, Mr. Claybourne. Ms. Hampton and Mr. Dawes are in closed door meeting if you want me to get them for you after I park your truck." The assistant offered.

"Don't bother Tandy and Bucky I'm not here to work." Rayna waved off his offer.

"I'll just go move that truck." He replied.

"I'll warn ya before you go in there that I've been in your office and your desk is a little bit of a mess." Deacon told her.

"I expect nothing less outta you." Rayna flashed him a smile.

Deacon helped her sit down behind her desk. "I'm gonna go get your coffee do you need anythin' else?"

"Coffee and a bottle of water. I hate to be a bother, but I'm in a lot of pain." Rayna replied.

"Baby, the one I gave you two hours ago was one of the high dose ones." Deacon looked unsure.

"I wouldn't ask for it if I didn't need it." Rayna had beads of sweat on her forehead from the pain.

"I don't know, babe." Deacon bit his lip.

"Deacon, I'm in pain damn it. I'm not you, I'm not some addict just jonesing for a hit." Rayna snapped at him.

Deacon's face fell.

"I'm sorry. That was unkind and uncalled for." Rayna's voice softened.

"It wasn't untrue though." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"You have a disease. I shouldn't have used that against you. I don't wanna hurt you, baby." Rayna sighed loudly.

"I do have a disease and that's why I watch you so closely. I know what it's like and I don't want you to have to go through that. I'll get you your water and give you a pill." Deacon walked out without another word.

Rayna slapped the top of her desk. "Damn it," She hadn't meant to snap at him like that. She was wound up tight as a drum from being back in the office and she was in pain. She wasn't the ideal partner under normal circumstances and these days things were anything, but normal.

"Hey, Ray, am I interrupting? I heard that you were in your office. It's so great to see you behind that desk again." Bucky stood in the doorway. He put his hand over his face to keep her from seeing him tear up.

"Come in and come here, Buck." Rayna opened her arms to him.

Bucky walked over and hugged her. "It's so damn good to see you."

"It's pretty damn good to see you too." Rayna squeezed him back.

"Want me to get you up to speed?" Bucky ask.

"Just give me what's important." Rayna made a give it to me gesture with her hands.

"I just got out of a meeting with Tandy who just talked Zach out of another horrible idea. She's the Zach whisperer I don't know what we're gonna do when she goes back to California. I think we have a problem with Zach, he doesn't play well with others. It's only a matter of time before Deacon knocks his head off. You and I have a tendency to forgive Deacon his bad behavior and cover it up. This time he wouldn't be in the wrong if he took a swing at him. I understand why he can't do that and so do you. That's why Tandy just offered to stay until you're ready to come back full time. She doesn't like Zach any more than Deacon does, but the difference is she only metaphorically knocks his head off." Bucky gave her a quick rundown.

"If we hadn't just bought Wheelin' and Dealin' I'd say we could cut ties with him, but right now without his money we would go under. I recognize that he's a problem, but until we can buy our way out of it he's a problem we're gonna have to deal with." Rayna told him.

"I do have good news though. Maddie is very hot right now. After the circuit, she did of talk shows everyone is wanting more. She's your daughter we get first crack at her. I know what you want for her, but I also know what she wants. She's shown what lengths she'll go to, to get what she wants. We should sign her. No one is gonna take better care of her or cherish her more than we will." Bucky made his pitch.

"I'll talk to her, Buck. I don't think she'll balk at the idea. I think she learned a lesson with that stunt she pulled." Rayna conceded his point. No one could protect her daughter better than she could from the snakes in the business.

"I'll let you handle that however you see fit. That's what this morning's fight with Zach was about. He wanted to do the full court press on Maddie and Tandy told him to pump the brakes that you should handle that. That kid is like an overzealous puppy." Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'll take care of it." Rayna assured him.

Deacon walked in with two cups of coffee. "Hey, Buck, let me know if I need to get the gas and the matches." He sat a cup in front of Rayna and kept one for himself.

"Bucky, what is he talking about?" Rayna sighed. She was afraid to know the answer to that question.

"Deacon has threatened to burn this place down before he'll let Zach change your vision and run it into the ground." Bucky informed her.

"I was upset when I said it, but I'll be damned if I didn't mean it." Deacon took a sip of his coffee.

"It's a temporary situation, babe. Do not do anything Deacon-like." Rayna warned him.

"Tandy said the same thing in much meaner terms." Deacon shrugged.

"That doesn't surprise me at all." Rayna tried to keep a brave face on, but she didn't feel right.

"I'm gonna go take care of some stuff. Tandy is playing master of the universe and she has a plan where we could survive without Zach once we get enough money built up." Bucky waved as he took his leave.

"Is Zach that big of a problem?" Rayna asked.

"I told you that I was unsure about this when you did it. For your sake, I hate that I was right about him, but I am right. He's a spoiled little rich kid who doesn't know the meaning of the word no and if you disagree with him you're his enemy." Deacon answered honestly.

"Is it possible you just don't like him?" Rayna suggested.

"If it were just me I would say that you were right. It ain't just me though. I hate the way he treats Bucky. The only one who can keep him in line is your sister. I guess that's 'cause she's so used to dealin' with your daddy. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but that's an insult to your daddy. He doesn't have the stones to be Lamar." Deacon didn't hold back.

"Oh, honey, you must really not like him." Rayna laughed softly.

"I don't." Deacon took her pills out of his pocket and handed them to her. "I almost forgot. There you go."

"Thanks, babe," Rayna took her pills.

"Rayna! I'm so happy to see you. Deacon has been keeping access to you restricted." Zach walked in without bothering to knock.

"It's nice to see you too, Zach." Rayna plastered a fake smile on her face. "My husband is very protective of me and the things that I hold dear. He's just doing his job." She gave him a gentle rebuke.

"Of course, we have so much to talk about. I'm hoping that you'll make an offer to Maddie and she will accept it. That would be great for the label." Zach went on.

One minute Rayna was talking business with Zach and the next all she could see was Carl walking into her office holding that knife. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't real and that she had made it through the ordeal, but it wasn't working. She broke out in a clammy sweat and started to hyperventilate.

Deacon noticed right away that something was wrong with her. He put his coffee cup down and drop to his knees in front of her. He took both her hands in his and squeezed them. "Ray, what's wrong? Come back to me, baby. Whatever you're seein' ain't real. You're safe. I'm right here with ya. You gotta calm down. Copy me, Ray." He took her hand and put on his chest. He took slow deep breaths.

Rayna hung on to his voice. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to copy Deacon's breathing pattern. Just when she thought that she would go into a full-blown panic attack she felt the medication hit her blood stream and a calm warm feeling washed over her. Her breathing evened out and she opened her eyes. "It's ok, babe, I'm ok."

"I think maybe we should go home now. We tried to do too much too soon." Deacon rubbed her knees and kissed her lips gently.

"I think you're right, baby, I'd really like to go home." Rayna nodded her agreement.

"I'll have that kid pull the truck around and then we will go." Deacon held her to him and took a deep breath.

"Deacon, if you could just talk to Maddie." Zach pressed on.

"Not now, Zach!" Deacon snapped a little harsher than he had intended.

* * *

"Rayna, for a woman who is in as much pain as I know you have to be in you're doing great with your physical therapy. I will see you tomorrow." Dean put the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

"You keep telling me that the pain will go away if I do these exercises to get stronger again. I'm holding you to that, Dean." Rayna waved at him.

"I'll walk you out." Deacon offered. He needed to talk to him.

"You don't have to do that I know my way out by now." Dean replied.

"I want to. It makes me feel like I'm doin' somethin' for the guy who is helpin' my wife out so much." Deacon put a friendly hand on his shoulder and walked him to the front door.

"It's my job," Dean told him.

"Ok, Dean, I didn't wanna say anythin' in front of Ray, but she's goin' through those pain pills like they are candy. They low dose ones hardly even work for her. Now she's poppin' the high dose ones like they are candy." Deacon shared his concerns.

Dean turned to look the older man in the eyes. "Deacon, your wife has very painful injuries. Those low dose pain killers are probably like Tylenol for her. I promise you that she's not asking you for a dose she doesn't need. She's only been home a week. Her doctor has basically written her a never-ending scrip for those while she's in recovery. She's in pain and they are helping her with the pain not getting her high. The doctor does have a close watch on her, though. If it becomes a problem she will catch it. Rayna wouldn't be able to move without the pills. The idea is the more she's able to move the sooner she will be able to stop taking those."

Deacon breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for tellin' me that. I'm an addict and my mind just goes places that I don't want it to go."

"Give it another few weeks and the low dose painkillers will be all she needs and soon enough she won't need those. This injury does take about a year or longer to recover from though. Don't be surprised if she needs the occasional dose even after the worst of the pain passes." Dean reassured him.

"Hearin' you say that makes me feel much better." Deacon replied.

"No problem, if you ever have any questions feel free to ask me. I'm not just here for her." Dean told him before he left.

Deacon felt silly now he had overreacted for nothing. His wife was the strongest person that he knew. Like she said she wasn't him, she wasn't an addict. She knew what that path looked like and she wouldn't go down it lightly.

"Deacon," Rayna called out her voice laced with pain.

"I'm comin', Ray." Deacon jogged to get her medicine and took it to her.

"You're a mind reader, baby." Rayna gestured for him to lean down. She tilted her face up and kissed him deeply. She let her tongue briefly explore his mouth.

Deacon groaned loudly when he pulled away from her. "Jesus, Ray," He panted heavily.

"I miss you," Rayna's eyes clouded over with lust.

"I'm right here." Deacon sat next to her and put his arms around her.

"No, I miss you." Rayna put her hand on crotch and squeezed gently.

"Oh, baby, I miss you too. We can't we gotta let you heal. 'Til then I'm holdin' on to the last time we did. I got a movie in my head of it." Deacon kissed along her jawline.

Rayna laughed as his whiskers tickled her sensitive skin. "Oh, you are dirty."

"Would you settle for a junior high make out session?" Deacon pulled her into his lap.

Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed with tongue again. "What do you think?"

Deacon didn't reply he just kissed her again.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 5

"This seems pretty informal for a meeting that's supposed to be so important." Maddie looked between her parents.

Deacon sat at one end of the dining room table in his usual jeans and flannel. Rayna sat at the other end dressed in a sweater and a pair of pajama pants. They were both wearing their glasses.

"This is a family meetin' and those get to be more informal." Deacon told her.

"I think you make up the rules as you go, Deacon." Daphne giggled and took a seat.

"What is this about?" Maddie leaned against the edge of the table.

"Well, Maddie, there's a couple things that we want to go over with ya'll." Rayna explained to her.

"Like what?" Daphne's eyebrows rose.

"Ya'll know that I came close to dying a few weeks ago. That put some things into perspective for me. I had my will redone. I'm done with scarin' the hell out of ya'll for a while, but it's somethin' that I needed to do. Now if somethin' should ever happen to me or I have to go away Deacon will be able to take care of you girls. Daph, he is your legal guardian now and, Maddie, he is now on record as your legal father." Rayna told them.

The girls took that in stride.

"What else are we here for?" Maddie asked.

"You don't have any questions 'bout me bein' your legal father?" Deacon studied his daughter's reaction.

Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "I mean it's about time."

Deacon laughed at that. "At least she didn't have a meltdown."

"The other thing I want to talk to you about is signing with Highway Sixty-five. Maddie, you're in a position where you're gonna be gettin' offers from all kinda labels. You won't get the level of support from those other labels that you will from this one." Rayna made her pitch.

Maddie shrugged again. "Sure, you're the first person to come to me and I think I had enough of other labels for now. You're the only one I know will do what's best for my career and not what's gonna make the label the most money."

Rayna laid a contract on the table. "Why don't you ask your daddy to sign that for you?"

"Dad, will you please sign this?" Maddie smiled.

"I'd love to." Deacon had an ear to ear grin on his face. He took a pen out of his shirt pocket and signed the contract.

"What about me?" Daphne asked.

"I gave this a lot of thought. I know that you and your sister love making music together. The thing is your sister is four years older than you and she's in a different place than you are right now. There's nothing to say that you two can't still make music together for fun and professionally when you're older. For now, I would like to sign you to a development contract." Rayna put another contract on the table.

"Wow, really?" Daphne's eyes went wide.

"Really, you have so much potential, baby girl. I don't wanna leave you out in the cold." Rayna signed the contract for her.

"Now, that our meetin' has wrapped up let's go celebrate by playin' with your momma's new favorite toy." Deacon announced.

"What new toy?" Maddie asked.

"I can't stay up all night playin' cards with her. I'm gonna fall asleep takin' Daphne to school if I do. So, I got her a Playstation with a wide array of games. Her favorite is Call of Duty. I don't even know this woman anymore." Deacon informed her.

"He's only mad, 'cause I'm better at this game than he is." Rayna laughed.

"Come on, woman, get your walker I'm gonna show you that I've been lettin' ya win." Deacon rolled his eyes playfully.

"This is gonna be good." Daphne laughed.

"I think they are both crazy." Maddie shook her head.

"You be cooped up in this house for as long as I have been and see if you don't go a little crazy too." Rayna retorted.

"Sure, that's what's doing it to you, mom." Maddie teased her.

"I can always rip that contract up. I can let you go with Tupelo Creek or some other label." Rayna shot back.

"They worked with you when you and dad were my age I doubt that they would want to put up with me." Maddie zinged her.

"Your momma was a money maker and I was a trouble maker. I don't know that one is a good enough trade off for the other." Deacon cracked.

Rayna sat down on the couch and turned the game console on. "Who is up first?"

"Daphne, I play her all the time. You face her." Deacon told her.

"Dad, when did you get so good at video games?" Maddie asked.

"When I was in that car accident. I needed to work everythin' out to make sure I could play guitar again." Deacon replied.

"My parents are so weird." Maddie rolled her eyes.

* * *

 **Ten Weeks Later**

"Deacon, you look mighty tired this morning." Tandy leaned over the kitchen counter to talk to her brother-in-law.

"Your sister tried to sleep some last night and I think you can guess how that worked out." Deacon took a slug of his coffee.

"She's still having those nightmares?" Tandy asked him.

"She won't talk about them, but yeah I think so." Deacon replied.

"Deacon, we really need to get her to talk about this. She is so into her physical recovery that she is neglecting the other part." Tandy pointed out to him.

"You know your sister. She can't be pushed to do anythin' she doesn't wanna do." Deacon reminded her.

"I wanna show you something." Tandy picked up a pill bottle.

"What am I lookin' at?" Deacon arched his eyebrow in confusion.

"This is a new bottle and it has more out of it than should. Either she's been hitting these harder or you've been at them." Tandy showed him the bottle.

"Tandy, I think you know better than that. I haven't touched those other than to give them to her. If I took one of those that whole bottle would be gone in a week." Deacon crossed his arms over his chest.

"I forgot that you had a thing for pills too." Tandy sighed.

"That's what made me get so bad before she left me. I was in that accident with Vince and they gave me Vicodin. Between that and the booze that's why I had so many blackouts that last year or so. It was the guilt of knowin' that I let Vince drive that night. I couldn't quite forgive myself for it." Deacon explained.

"I didn't realize." Tandy gasped.

"Yeah, I was pretty dark there in for a while." Deacon admitted.

"Do you think she has a problem?" Tandy asked.

"I've asked the doctor and the physical therapist. They both say that her injury was more painful than most people who break their pelvis. They said that if she didn't take the pills she wouldn't be able to get around as well as she is. They hope that we will be able to taper her down to the lower dosage soon. I know her and I would know if she had a problem." Deacon told her firmly.

"She said the same thing about you before she put you in rehab for the first time." Tandy pointed out.

"Shit," Deacon cussed softly.

"Shit sums it up nicely." Tandy nodded her head in agreement.

"We will keep an eye on her and if it is a problem we will catch early." Deacon took another drink of his coffee.

"We agree then at the first sign she has a problem we ship her ass off to rehab. Even if we have to drag her there kicking and screaming." Tandy clicked her coffee mug against his.

"She doin' PT now?" Deacon asked.

"Yeah, she is. She's doing much better than anyone can reasonably expect her to be doing." Tandy answered him.

"She's still in a lot of pain though, Tandy. She's intense and she won't listen to what her body is tellin' her." Deacon took a deep breath.

"I know she's in pain. I just want to keep an eye on her. We almost lost her, Deacon. After what we just went through I don't want to take any chances." Tandy reassured him.

Deacon squinted and looked at her. "You're a good big sister."

Tandy put her hand on top of his. "And you're a good husband. You're much better than I ever thought you'd be."

"I know that was hard for you to admit." Deacon laughed softly.

"It may be painful for me, but I can admit when I'm wrong." Tandy laughed with him.

Rayna hobbled into the kitchen on a pair of crutches she had graduated from the walker. "What are you two up to in here?"

"We are just havin' coffee, babe." Deacon gave her a lopsided grin.

"Good, you already have my pills down. Dean didn't go easy on me today." Rayna took the cap off the bottle and dumped a pill into her hand.

Tandy and Deacon shared a look.

"What was that about?" Rayna looked between them.

"Nothing," Tandy played it off.

"Deacon," Rayna said her husband's name in a warning tone.

"It's really nothin'." Deacon assured her.

Rayna looked at the pill bottle. "I guess I forgot to tell you two. Maddie took me to my last appointment and while I'm gettin' around better physically I'm still in a world of pain. Dr. Reynolds told me that she wants me on the high dose pain killers for now, so I can keep up with gettin' my mobility back. The little fractures have healed pretty well the big ones are the ones that are givin' me trouble. Those should be healin' up soon and then I can go back down in my dosage. I wish you two would have asked me about it before you decided that I'm an addict." Anger flashed in her eyes.

"We are just concerned about you. We aren't trying to make you mad." Tandy tried to calm her down.

"I understand that, but give me the benefit of the doubt here." Rayna lowered herself onto a stool.

"We won't say another word about the pills unless it becomes a problem." Deacon swore to her.

"I appreciate that. I have other things on my mind. I have to go to the bail hearing for that maniac tomorrow. I am not lookin' forward to that." Rayna put her hands over her face and groaned.

"I'll be there with you the whole time. When you're up on the witness stand and you feel like you can't do it, you look at me." Deacon took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I don't wanna put any more stress on you, but I really think that you should sue the security company. If they had done their job properly to begin with then you wouldn't be in the position you're in now." Tandy changed the subject.

"I don't know. I don't wanna be someone who just goes around suing people for no reason." Rayna swayed her head from side to side.

"Babe, I think Tandy might be right on this one. If they'd cleared the office properly before they let you go in alone they would have found him. If they'd have found him things would have turned out differently." Deacon pointed out to her.

"If they'd found him then the police wouldn't have had a reason to be so concerned with you. If they weren't there for you then you wouldn't have been in the back of that police car when it got hit. Therefore, I think you should sue them for gross negligence." Tandy explained herself.

"Let me think about it. That is a huge decision to make." Rayna thought it over.

"I just want you to think about it that's all." Tandy gripped her shoulder affectionately.

"Let's not do anythin' rash 'til after the bail hearin' tomorrow. There's an off chance that we may still need 'em." Deacon put a pin in that discussion.

* * *

"Ray, are you sure that you wanna do this?" Deacon leaned over and whispered in Rayna's ear.

"I don't wanna do this, but I have to do this." Rayna whispered back.

They were sitting in the front row of the court room behind the DA. This was supposed to be a short informal hearing and they weren't supposed to ask Rayna many questions today. They were saving that for the trial.

Rayna gripped Rayna's hand tightly when Carl was led into the courtroom.

"I'm right here, baby. Focus on me not on him." Deacon whispered in her ear soothingly.

Rayna leaned against him and held tight to him.

The judge and the lawyers went through the usual formalities before they called Rayna to the stand. Deacon gave her hand one final squeeze before she walked to the stand on her crutches and took a seat.

"Ms. Jaymes, how do you know the defendant?" The DA asked.

"He was stalking me for weeks before he showed up in my office." Rayna answered. She kept her eyes on Deacon the whole time. She wouldn't allow herself to look at Carl.

"You say he was stalking you for weeks. Did you contact the police regarding the matter before?" The DA went on.

"I'd called the police on him once before and he was released on bail." Rayna replied.

"I have no further questions, Your Honor." The DA had made his point.

"We have no questions." Carl's lawyer added.

"The witness may step down then." The judge ordered.

Rayna hobbled back to sit beside Deacon.

Deacon rubbed her arm. "You did so good, baby." He kissed her temple and put his arm around her shoulders. "Baby, you're shakin'."

"I'm ok," Rayna laid her head on his shoulder.

The judge looked over some papers in front of him before he looked up. "This is an easy decision. Bail is denied." He banged his gavel.

Rayna breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God,"

"Come on, let's get out of here." Deacon ushered her out of the room before Carl had a chance to look in their direction.

"Take me to the office." Rayna told him once they were in the truck.

"Babe, are you sure? You've had a big day already." Deacon studied her carefully.

"I'm sure. You don't have to treat like glass. I'm not gonna break if you don't handle me the right way." Rayna assured him.

"Ok, we will go to the office." Deacon agreed.

* * *

Rayna took her place at the head of the table in the conference room. She didn't think she could handle being back in her office today. Not after she'd had to face Carl in the courtroom.

"Babe, I have to say that you, Buck, and Tandy are doing a damn job of taking care of things around here." She looked up from the paperwork she'd requested.

"I've been doin' my best. Bucky and Tandy are the ones who have really been takin' care of things 'round here." Deacon waved off her praise.

"It's not just them. You're the actin' CEO and you've been doing a better job at it than I ever have." Rayna told him.

"Rayna, I'm glad you're here." Juliette rushed in like a whirlwind.

"What can I do for you, Juliette?" Rayna asked.

"You can talk to your daughter for me." Juliette sat down next to her.

"About what?" Rayna questioned.

"About the song, she is recordin' right now. Her version is great don't get me wrong, but I have a way for her to do it that will sound better." Juliette replied.

"I'll talk to her that's all I can do. She's as stubborn as me and her father. If you can't talk any sense into her I don't know who will be able to." Rayna leveled with her.

"She's a young artist her way is the best way and no one is gonna be able to tell her any different." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe if more than one artist she respects tells her that there is another way to do it she will listen." Juliette suggested.

"We will work on her. You need to focus on your album release." Rayna told her.

"I'm focused on my album release. It's outta my hands now." Juliette retorted.

"It's good, I've heard some of the tracks and I do like it." Rayna smiled.

"Thanks, Rayna, all I've ever wanted was to make you proud of me." Juliette grabbed her hand.

"I know, I did hear you the first time you said that to me in the hospital." Rayna informed her.

"I didn't realize." Juliette whispered.

"I don't remember a lot, but I do remember that. I try not to concentrate on that part." Rayna leaned in on her elbows.

"I should get out of your hair and let you get about your day. I just wanted to talk to you about Maddie." Juliette stood up to leave.

"Thanks for stoppin' by, Juliette." Deacon smiled at her.

After Juliette left Zach walked into the conference room. "Rayna, it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Zach. What's going on?" Rayna greeted him.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to touch base with you. Maddie was a huge get for the label and I have big plans for her. With your approval of course." Zach laid some papers down on the table.

"What's this?" Deacon toyed with the papers.

"This is just a rough outline of what I have in mind for Maddie. If you have any other ideas that you wanna throw in there feel free." Zach clasped his hands in front of him.

"We will have to look this over and get back to you on that." Rayna replied evenly.

"And Maddie will probably wanna have some input. She's a lot like her momma that way. Headstrong and she wants things done her way." Deacon chuckled.

"From what I've seen of Rayna that's not entirely a bad thing." Zach retorted.

"Not unless you're tryin' to talk her outta somethin'." Deacon winked at Rayna.

"That's enough outta you." Rayna slapped his arm playfully.

"You only say that when I speak the truth." Deacon pushed her buttons.

"I don't know why I put up with you." Rayna rolled her eyes at him.

"Wow, what people say about you guys is true. You have this amazing chemistry. I can't wait until we can get you out to do some press on your album. It's gonna be amazing. The album was very well received and it's going to do even better once we get you two out there." Zach made his version of small talk.

"I think it's gonna be a while yet before I'm up to doin' any heavy-duty press. I just got off the walker and on crutches. My girls need me 'round right now." Rayna told him in no uncertain terms.

"Of course, you take your time and heal up. Your album sales have given us a nice little boost." Zach replied.

"Once she's done with PT we will think about it." Deacon agreed with his wife.

"I understand that she can't travel right now, but maybe she could do a small show somewhere close." Zach suggested.

"Zach, she can barely walk I don't think she's up to doin' a show." Deacon turned to glare at him.

"Whatever you think is best." Zach replied lamely.

"Zach, you'll have to forgive my husband he's very protective of me. I know I've said it before, but it's very true. I will have to think about that too. I don't wanna hobble onto the stage on crutches I wanna walk up there on my own." Rayna softened the blow of Deacon's harsh words.

"Right," Zach nodded his head.

"Zach, this is what we discussed when I gave you the finished album. The way you go about things is too intense." Deacon told him.

"It's a flaw of mine. I can't help it. When I get excited about something it's all I can think about." Zach explained to him.

"Just try to remember that there are people attached to these ideas of yours." Deacon tried to be a little nicer to him.

"Deacon, take me home, babe. I'm getting really tired and I'm starting to hurt very bad." Rayna wanted to step in before Deacon and Zach could get into it.

"Yeah, I think you could do with a nap. You've had a big day and I don't want you to overdo it." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"I have and I still have PT this afternoon." Rayna sighed loudly.

"That's right, Dean still has to have the chance to torture you today." Deacon teased her.

"I will let you guys be on your way then." Zach cleared his throat and excused himself.

"Come on, we parked close we can walk to the truck today." Deacon helped her up.

"Thanks, babe. You are absolutely amazing and I don't know what I'd do without you." Rayna smiled at him.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either." Deacon kissed her sweetly.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Don't worry too much about the pills they are just a device to get to the bigger problem at hand and to make Rayna and Deacon go through bit of their history that wasn't so great and work it out once and for all. I know that this is getting kinda repetitious, but don't worry I have big plans to make it different from the show. Until next time please review.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 6

"How would you girls like to help me with a little something?" Rayna looked between her daughters.

Maddie hadn't headed into the studio yet and Daphne was staying home from school again to help out with Rayna. Deacon and Tandy were both in the office for the day.

"What do you need, mom?" Maddie asked.

"I'm here to help." Daphne chimed in.

"As you both know Deacon's and my first anniversary is this week. I'm sure that he has somethin' planned for the day of, but I wanted to surprise him." Rayna explained.

"What do you need me to do?" Maddie inquired.

"I'm gonna need you to drive me up to the cabin. Before that I'm gonna need you and Daph to head to the store for me. I have a list of things that I need. Actually, scratch that, Maddie, you go to the store for me. I need Daphne to go up to my bedroom and get a few things for me." Rayna laid a list down on the counter.

"I will go to the store and get these things for you." Maddie took the list and grabbed her keys off the hook.

"What do you want from your bedroom?" Daphne asked eagerly.

"I need makeup, jewelry, and the perfect outfit. I also need to pick out an outfit for Deacon." Rayna listed for her.

"I'll go up and get your stuff." Daphne rushed up the stairs.

An hour later Maddie came back from the store and Rayna and Daphne had picked out the perfect outfit.

"Alright, mom, I got everything that was on your list. Now what?" Maddie asked.

"Now you drive me up to the cabin." Rayna got up on her crutches.

Once they got up to the cabin the girls decorated the porch and got a fire going.

"Are you sure you're gonna be ok up here alone for a little while?" Maddie wasn't thrilled about leaving her mother by herself.

"I am a grown woman and I will be fine on my own for a while." Rayna assured her.

"I can stay with you." Daphne volunteered.

"No, that's ok." Rayna handed Maddie an envelope. "You give that to your father and you have him put on the outfit that I left for him."

"I won't forget. You guys have a good time tonight. Your medications are in your purse." Maddie laid out for her.

"I've got it under control, Maddie." Rayna assured her.

"Ok, mom, we will see you tomorrow." Maddie hugged her.

"Bye, mom," Daphne joined in the hug.

"Bye, my girls. I love you both." Rayna hugged them tight.

* * *

A little while later Deacon pulled up to the cabin. He stepped out of the truck dressed in blue jeans and a white paisley shirt with pearl snap buttons.

"Wow, what is all this?" His mouth hung open in surprise.

Rayna sat on the porch in rocking chair. She was dressed in a pink sweater and a comfortable pair of jeans with holes in them. "I decorated a little bit."

The porch was decorated with white twinkle lights and tiny white candles in mason jars.

"I got an invitation to meet you here and I honestly have no clue what this is about." Deacon smiled goofily.

Rayna got up and used the porch railing for support.

"Whoa, easy," Deacon rushed over to meet her.

Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck, so he could hold her up. "Happy anniversary, baby." She pressed her lips to his.

"This is kinda early, but happy anniversary, Ray." Deacon wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I have dinner waiting for you inside. I would have carried it out here by the fire, but I couldn't handle that by myself." Rayna told him.

"That ain't a problem at all. I'll start a fire inside and then I'll bring dinner out. You just sit down." Deacon helped her back into her chair.

"Thank you, darlin'." Rayna smiled up at him.

Deacon went into the cabin and started a fire quickly. He always had the material on hand to start a fire. He went into the kitchen next and grabbed the salads off the counter to start out. He carried them out to Rayna. "Here's our first course."

"You can thank Maddie and Daphne for the food. They took pity on their poor cripple momma and did what I told them to do." Rayna picked up her fork and started eating.

Deacon sat down beside her. "Well, I have to tell you that this is damn near perfect."

"Those girls of ours are something special." Rayna commented.

"They really are. Maddie is killin' it in the studio and helpin' out 'round the house. And I don't think we could ask for more outta Daphne than what she's been doin'." Deacon agreed with her.

Rayna just smiled in response.

"What's that look for?" He turned to face her.

"I didn't think we'd ever get here. We had a lot of near misses and there were times we almost threw each other away." She mused.

"There's a lotta water under our bridge and a whole lotta demons. It's a testament to how strong you are that we made it this far." He replied.

"There's a whole lotta cheap whiskey too, but that ain't what we are here to focus on tonight. I wanted to do somethin' for you after you've been so wonderful with me." She reached over and took his hand.

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "You've put up with a lot from me over all our years together. I'm just returnin' the favor."

"I've never not loved you, babe." She told him.

"I've never not loved you either." He replied. "I better go get the next course."

"I'll be here waitin' for ya." She winked at him.

"Ray, you made steak and lobster. I can't believe you pulled that off." Deacon exclaimed when he walked back outside.

"Honey, it's not that hot. I can cook a lot more than I used to be able to." Rayna laughed.

"You certainly picked up a trick or two since the first time we were together." Deacon agreed with her.

They ate dinner in comfortable silence. They didn't have to use words to communicate.

"Why don't you go inside and get dessert?" Rayna suggested.

Deacon leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. "After that amazin' dinner you have dessert too?"

"Of course, I did. I know the way to your heart." Rayna teased him.

"I'll be right back in that case." Deacon went in the house and got dessert. "Key lime pie you're butterin' me up."

"I'm just makin' sure that you have a good time tonight." Rayna laughed at him. "Sit down and let's do this right." She took the fork from him and fed him a bite of pie.

"That pie is heaven." Deacon sighed. He fed her a bite.

"I won't lie to you I had Maddie buy the pie." Rayna confessed.

"You ain't gonna hear me complain 'bout that." Deacon leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Are you takin' a shot at my cookin'?" Rayna gave him a mock glare.

"I plead the fifth." Deacon laughed at the cute pout she fixed on her face.

"You are a smart man." Rayna laughed with him.

"Now what?" Deacon asked once they finished the pie.

"Now, you take me inside." Rayna answered him.

Deacon scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the cabin. He sat her on the couch and sat down next to her.

"I figured you might be feeling up to a little competition tonight and I brought the Playstation." Rayna grinned wickedly.

"We better fire that bad boy up then. I ain't losin' to you again." Deacon smirked at her.

"Hey, babe, I think I'm ready." Rayna paused the game and sat her controller down after she had beat her husband several times.

Deacon's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Are you sure, Ray? I don't wanna hurt ya."

"You aren't gonna hurt me. Just be gentle." Rayna spoke her voice barely above a whisper.

Deacon took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. He took his time undressing her and then he undressed himself. "You're a damn sight for sore eyes." He used his fingertip to trace the scar over her hip gently.

"Don't, it's ugly." Rayna averted her gaze from his.

Deacon put his fingers under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. He took her hand and placed it on the scar on his abdomen from his liver transplant. "It ain't ugly it just means you survived, you're a warrior. I have one too. You ain't the only one." He pressed his forehead to hers.

Rayna ran her hand over his scar. "That's right, we're warriors." She kissed him again.

Deacon hooked her good leg over his hip and slid into her slowly. "Ah, God, Ray,"

Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, baby." Deacon replied.

He took his time making slow gentle love to her. He'd thought that he'd never get a chance to do this again. He relished the feel of her underneath him, the taste of her lips on his, and the sounds she made when he hit the right spots.

Her heart filled with love for him. This was the man who had made her a woman and later the man who had made her a mother. There was no man in the world who was able to make her feel the way that he did. She knew that by now she'd tried other men and they just didn't do it for her.

After they finished she laid there with tears in her eyes. Without her meaning for them to a few of them spilled over.

Deacon used the pads of his thumbs to wipe her tears away. "Are you ok, Ray? Did I hurt you?"

"I'm better than ok, Deacon. It was just like the first time we made love all those years ago. You were so tender and gentle with me that it moved me to tears just like it did now." Rayna brushed off his concern.

"Other than those girls you are the most precious thing in the world to me, Ray. I could never do anythin' that would purposely hurt you." Deacon held her close and kissed her.

"You are beyond perfect." Rayna ran her hand across his stubble.

"I ain't all that perfect." Deacon rolled over and grabbed his phone when the alarm went off. "It's time for your pills."

"I could use 'em. You didn't hurt me, but I'll be damned if I ain't hurting." Rayna told him.

"I'll be right back." Deacon jumped up and walked to the kitchen naked.

Rayna let out a loud whistle. "Deacon Claybourne, I do believe you have the finest ass in three states."

Deacon laughed and brought her pills back over with a bottle of water. "I've heard that from you a time or two. It don't get old hearin' it." He gave her the pills. "Age has been damn good to you too, baby. That body gets even better with time."

Rayna took her pills and chuckled. "Oh, honey, you must really love me. I've had two babies."

"Like I said it's only made you better." Deacon pulled her to him and kissed her.

* * *

Deacon's arrival home was announced by the slamming of the kitchen door.

"Babe, is that you?" Rayna looked up from the book she was reading on the couch.

"Yeah, it's me." Deacon's words came out clipped. He walked into the living room. From the way, he was walking he was clearly agitated.

"Babe, you're more wound up than I ever seen you. Tell me what's wrong." Rayna spoke to him gently.

"Zach is what's wrong. That little pimple on a good songwriter's ass." Deacon fumed.

"What did he do now?" Rayna let out a loud sigh. She was getting pretty fed up with Zach's behavior.

"He has this plan for Maddie's single. He wants to roll it out with a midnight release. Both Buck and I told him that we didn't feel that was the direction to go with a new artist. He didn't like that very much. Lately he's been freezin' Bucky out and consulting with his people. Last night he basically told me that he wants Bucky out. Tonight Bucky quit." Deacon explained the reason for his bad mood.

"Excuse me?" Rayna looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"You heard me." Deacon confirmed.

"I ain't gonna let that stand. Bucky has been with me my whole career. He's my head of A and R. He's still my manager." Rayna ran her hand through her hair.

"We can't get the label back from him soon enough. I don't even know what to do 'bout him at this point." Deacon plopped down next to her.

"We can't do anything about him right now. I'll have Bucky over and I will talk to him. Maybe for right now it would be better if he did step down, so he doesn't have to take that abuse from some punk kid. Buck was in this business while he was still in diapers." Rayna really couldn't believe how far Zach had overstepped this time.

"I knew it was a bad idea when you got into bed with him. I never dreamed it would be this bad." Deacon slammed his fist down on the arm of the couch.

"Soon enough we will be able to get rid of him. Until then you just need to bide your time." Rayna tried to get him to calm down.

"When we get rid of him please let me be the one to throw him out on his pampered entitled ass." Deacon seethed.

"You've got it, babe." Rayna agreed.

"In the mean time what do you think we should do about Maddie's single?" Deacon changed the subject to something that wouldn't make his blood pressure skyrocket.

"A midnight release isn't the way to go with her. She's a baby artist. No one is going to be paying attention to her on the radar. Her single release is gonna need more fanfare than that." Rayna scoffed.

"It has to be your call and not mine. He will listen to you. He will just think that I'm turnin' down the idea 'cause it came from him." Deacon replied.

"Oh, it'll be my idea. I'm also gonna tell him that he's to treat anything you say like it came from me. I'll tell him that Buck told me what was going on. I don't want it to seem like you came running to teacher to solve your problems." Rayna said thoughtfully.

"I don't really give a good damn what he thinks of me. If there was ever anyone who deserve to have me put my first through his face it's this punk." Deacon cracked his knuckles.

"Don't do that. You have to play guitar." Rayna cautioned him.

"You're right he ain't worth it." Deacon agreed with her.

Rayna leaned against him. "I really appreciate everything you've been doing for me. I know that running Highway Sixty-Five ain't your cup of tea, but you've been nothing short of amazing."

"Darlin', I'm just keepin' your dream alive until you can get back to work." Deacon stole a kiss from her.

"Which, will hopefully be soon." Rayna nuzzled his neck.

"Can't be soon enough for me. I really hate this stuffy office shit." Deacon put his arm around her shoulders.

"Baby, you're my hero." Rayna beamed up at him.

"I'm just followin' your lead, baby." Deacon rested his chin on top of her head.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. This was just a fun fluffy little chapter before things get a little dark for a little while, but I promise there is a light at the end of a the tunnel and things will work out fine. Until next time please review.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Baby, are you sure that you don't want me to stay up with you until you can get back to sleep." Deacon fixed her place on the couch. She'd just woke up from yet another nightmare.

"I am fine don't worry about me, babe. I want you to go get some sleep." Rayna pecked his lips.

"Alright, if you need anythin' at all you let me know." Deacon leveled her with a serious look.

"I will be fine. Go get some sleep." Rayna pointed towards the stairs.

"I can sleep down here in your room." Deacon volunteered.

"No, I want you to go upstairs and get some real sleep." Rayna shook her head.

"Ok, whatever you say, darlin'." Deacon kissed her forehead and then headed upstairs. Instead of getting in bed he laid at the ottoman at the end of the bed and pulled a blanket over him. He couldn't sleep in his bed without his wife there beside him.

Rayna waited until she heard the bedroom door shut and Deacon settle down before she took her pill bottle off the coffee table. She shook two pills out and chased them with a bottle of water. She couldn't keep going on no sleep.

* * *

"Alright, Deacon, what are we gonna do about that sister of mine?" Tandy asked Deacon.

"I have no idea. She won't talk about it and she won't tell the doctor anything." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

They were in the office that Tandy had claimed for herself at Highway 65.

"She needs to talk to someone. If she doesn't I don't know what's gonna happen to her. I woke up this morning to her sound asleep on the couch. I don't think she'd been sleeping that long. I could hear her playing that damn game when I got up to use the bathroom." Tandy informed him.

"Good luck gettin' Rayna to do anythin' she really doesn't wanna do. You have to make her think it's her idea. At this point in time that will never be her idea." Deacon groaned loudly.

"It's on you to figure that one out. I'm not married to her you are." Tandy arched her eyebrow at him.

"I'll figure somethin' out." Deacon nodded his agreement.

"Or we can give her a little bit more time and see if she does it on her own." Tandy suggested.

"I think that's the best idea that we have for right now. I don't know what else to do." Deacon looked at her helplessly.

"Normally she would be the one to take charge of something like this. She would handle it with the strength and the grace the rest of us just don't possess. She gets it from our mom." Tandy rested her chin on the back of her hand.

"I can see it in her. I've always looked at her and seen your momma. You on the other hand are every bit your daddy." Deacon laughed softly.

"I got the good business sense, but she could move mountains just because she wanted to. I've always admired that in her. She's my baby sister, but I look up to her on that one thing." Tandy replied.

"You've always meant the world to her. Even when she wanted nothin' to do with Lamar she still wanted to be part of your life. No matter how many times you told her I was no good for her." Deacon let a grin play on his lips.

"At the time, I was right. That isn't true anymore." Tandy conceded.

"I never thought I'd see the day it happened, but I think we've become friends." Deacon's eyes lit up with mirth.

"Another example of Rayna doing things effortlessly." Tandy shrugged.

"She's pretty spectacular that way." Deacon laughed.

"Hey, Deacon," Bucky stuck his head in the door.

"Hey, Buck, what's up, brother?" Deacon turned to look at him.

"I just got a call from the Bluebird they want you to come in and play." Bucky was in the process of packing up his office.

"I don't know, Buck. I haven't really played since Rayna's accident." Deacon answered unsurely.

"Do you want me to tell you what Rayna would tell you or do you want me to say it?" Bucky asked him.

"Give it to me, Buck." Deacon retorted.

"She'll say something like 'Deacon, you need to do this. You're at your best when you're playing small venues like that. You're in your element with your people.' Or something like that." Bucky gave his best guess as to what Rayna would say.

"That sounds 'bout right to me. You can tell them that I'll do it." Deacon relented.

"After I do that I'm gonna get my stuff and get outta here." Bucky replied.

"Buck, you know that this is only temporary, right? Just as soon as we get things sorted out you are gonna come back. Ray can't do this without you." Deacon told him firmly.

"I will always be here for you and for Ray and the girls. If you need me you call." Bucky shook his hand.

"I hate like hell that it's come to this." Deacon looked at him apologetically.

"Deacon, it wasn't you. This was my decision and it's the best way that I can help Rayna right now." Bucky reassured him before he went back to his office.

"If it comes down to it we can always have him talk to her." Tandy joked.

"It is his job." Deacon agreed with her.

"I think he would disagree with us on that, but she pays him enough to deal with her." Tandy laughed.

"It's probably a good thing that we were never friends while I was drinkin'. We would have gotten into a lot of trouble together." Deacon shook his head.

* * *

"Babe, let me see how you look." Rayna sat on the couch waiting for Deacon to get ready to play at the Bluebird.

Deacon stepped in front of her in his usual jeans and flannel. "Well, I'm ready." He grinned.

"In that case I'm ready too." Rayna smiled at him.

"You're comin' with me?" Deacon smiled even wider.

"I can't let you play the Bluebird for the first time in forever and not go with you." Rayna grabbed her crutches and stood up.

"Are you sure? Can you handle this?" Deacon looked at her unsure.

"Yes, I'm sure. I just took a pill and I have extras in case I need them. It'll be good for me to get out of the house and try to get back to my life." Rayna assured him.

"Darlin', if you're sure you're game for this then I'm in." Deacon kissed her sweetly.

"Let's get goin' we don't wanna be late." Rayna smiled against his lips.

"At lot of ya'll may not know this, but I met my wife here more years ago than either of us care to count. Tomorrow is a pretty big day for us it's our first weddin' anniversary and I thought I'd play a song that was pretty big when we first started datin'." Deacon sat on a stool on the stage and smiled at Rayna. He started strumming his guitar.

" _It's amazin' how you can speak right to my heart. Without sayin' a word you can light up the dark. Try as I may I could never explain what I hear when you don't say a thing."_ He looked up and met Rayna's eyes.

Rayna smiled at him.

" _The smile on your face let's you know that you need me. There's truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me. A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall. Now you say it best when you say nothin' at all."_ That said more about his and Rayna's relationship than he could if he sat down to write a book about it.

" _All day long I can hear people talkin' out loud. But when you hold me near you drown out the crowd. Old Mister Webster could never define what's bein' said between your heart and mine."_ He tried to keep his emotions under control.

" _The smile on your face let's you know that you need me. There's truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me. A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall. Now you say it best when you say nothin' at all."_

Rayna's eyes teared up. She loved that man to distraction.

" _The smile on your face let's you know that you need me. There's truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me. A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall. Now you say it best when you say nothin' at all."_

Deacon cleared his throat to regain control. "Thank you,"

* * *

"Deacon, you were absolutely wonderful tonight." Rayna told him once they got home.

"Thank, babe, I just wanted to let you know how special you are to me." Deacon sat down on the couch with her.

"You reminded me so much of that man I fell in love with all those years ago." Rayna peppered kissed along his jawline.

"When you did that I feel like the teenager you fell in love with." Deacon chuckled softly.

Rayna captured his lips with hers to shut him up.

Deacon wrapped his arms around her and climbed on top of her. He ran his hand up her shirt.

Rayna smiled against his lips. "Mmm, babe, we can't do this here the girls."

"Then let me remedy that." Deacon stood and bent to pick her up.

The front door opened.

"Maddie, shh, your momma and daddy are probably up." Scarlett tried to caution her cousin.

"What's that?" Rayna asked.

"I don't know." Deacon pulled away from her.

"Scarlett, what are you doing here?" Maddie slurred.

"I brought you home, remember?" Scarlett asked patiently.

"Oh, that's right." Maddie replied loudly.

"I'd know that sound anywhere. That's a drunk Claybourne." Rayna commented dryly.

"Tell me that I didn't sound like that." Deacon begged her.

"If you'd been that happy when you were drunk I don't think I would have sent you to rehab so many times." Rayna snorted.

"Oh, boy," Deacon sighed.

"Scarlett, we're in here." Rayna called out to the younger woman.

"I told you to be quiet, Maddie." Scarlett drug Maddie into the living room.

"I can't help it." Maddie retorted.

"Scarlett, what the hell happened to her?" Deacon asked. He shook his head when he saw how drunk his daughter was.

"Zach invited her to an industry event. Apparently, he thought it would be a great idea to give the seventeen-year-old fancy drinks." Scarlett explained.

"Rayna, I'm gonna snap that kid's neck." Deacon seethed.

"No, you're not. You are gonna control that fiery temper of yours and let me deal with this." Rayna warned him.

"What do you want me to do with her?" Deacon pointed at Maddie.

"Take her to bed." Rayna bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Mom, I'm so happy to see you." Maddie fell on top of Rayna.

"Ow, Maddie, you gotta move." Rayna groaned.

"Get off your momma." Deacon picked her up and carried her up to her room.

"Scarlett, thank you so much for bringing her home. I don't know what we'd do without you." Rayna expressed her thanks. She grabbed her pills and popped a couple of them.

"She's my cousin, it's no trouble. She really hurt you, huh?" Scarlett observed.

"I'm ok unless I get jarred then I hurt like hell again. I hurt slightly less under normal circumstances." Rayna took a deep breath.

Deacon came back down with a pissed off look on his face. "That girl is three sheets to the wind right now. I put a bottle of water and two aspirins on her nightstand. And I put a trash can beside her bed. There's no way in hell she ain't throwin' up tonight."

"There were many times I thought that about you and you didn't puke." Rayna informed him.

Scarlett yawned and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, I should get goin'."

"No way, you ain't drivin' home and riskin' yourself and my future great niece or nephew. You can stay here tonight." Deacon replied.

"You sure 'bout that?" Scarlett asked.

"Of course, we're sure. You can go bunk down with Daphne. She will be so surprised when she wakes up in the morning and you're here." Rayna told her.

"In that case I'm gonna head on up to bed." Scarlett left them alone again.

"What do you wanna do 'bout Maddie?" Deacon put his hands in his back pockets an uneasy look on his face.

"If she's gonna be as hungover as I think she is we can let that do the talking." Rayna replied.

"I'm so sorry, Ray, this is all my fault. She gets these damn genes from me." Deacon apologized.

Rayna reached her hand and pulled him down next to her. "Hey, don't you dare think like that. One teenage booze bender doesn't make her an alcoholic. It's a normal teenage thing to do. Don't worry so much."

"I do worry though, Ray. What if I passed those genes down to her?" Deacon shook his head.

"Deacon, I know what you're thinking right now. You're not your father and she's not you. She is gonna be just fine. Tomorrow morning, she might not be so great, but the hangover is only temporary." Rayna squeezed his knee.

"I sure do love you." Deacon stole a kiss from her.

"I sure do love you too." Rayna mumbled sleepily.

"Wanna go to bed?" Deacon asked her.

"I do, but I want to sleep in our bed tonight." Rayna put her arms around him.

"I like the sound of that. I haven't slept in our bed since the night before your accident." Deacon picked her up and carried her up to their room.

* * *

Rayna woke in the middle of the night from another one of her nightmares. Thankfully Deacon was still sleeping peacefully beside her. She reached for her pill bottle and popped two of those before settling back in beside him.

"Ray, wake up, baby." Deacon held a cup of coffee underneath her nose to help rouse her.

Rayna sat up with a groan. "Morning, baby," Her voice was still laden with sleep.

Deacon took a breakfast tray and sat it in front of her. "Happy anniversary, baby."

"You are just too perfect." Rayna slurred her words a little. She was having a hard time waking up.

"I just wanted to make my wife feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet." Deacon crawled into bed next to her and stole a piece of bacon from her plate.

"Hey, that's mine." Rayna objected.

"I made you extra, so I could have some." Deacon winked at her.

"Mhmm," Rayna arched her eyebrow at him.

"Eat up. I let you sleep in as long as I could so you could have time for breakfast before Dean shows up for PT." Deacon put his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have a husband like you." Rayna smiled at him.

"I'm the lucky one. You gave me another chance after I had let you down so many times." Deacon gave her a meaningful look.

"You may have messed up, but you didn't mess up to the point I do. I kept your daughter from you and the fact that you forgave me from that tells me what kind of man you are." Rayna leaned into him.

"We both screwed up and there is no sense livin' in the past. We have the rest of our lives to make things up to each other." Deacon pressed a kiss to her temple.

"And this is why I say you're perfect." Rayna elbowed him playfully.

"I ain't perfect. I'm just perfect for you." Deacon teased her.

"I will agree with that." Rayna stole a kiss from him.

"Eat, so I can carry you downstairs. I'm gettin' a good workout from haulin' you 'round." Deacon buried his face in her neck.

"I can think of a way to get in a better work out." Rayna wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I can get on board with that." Deacon moved the tray out of the way and got on top of her.

Rayna lay there panting afterwards. "Babe, that was incredible. Can you get me a washrag from the bathroom, so I can clean up?"

"I sure can." Deacon jumped up to do as she had asked.

Rayna took the time to take some pills to get her through PT.

"Here you are, babe." Deacon brought her a washrag back.

"Thank you, honey." Rayna gave him a big smile.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 8

Maddie sat down at the kitchen counter with her head in her hands. "Oh my God, I think I'm dying." She groaned.

"You look like you're dying." Tandy put a coffee mug in front of her.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Maddie took a slow sip of her coffee.

"You don't have to talk about it. I can smell it from this side of the counter." Tandy took a step back.

"Drinking is evil. I don't know how some people do that every day." Maddie whined.

"What exactly were you drinking?" Tandy asked her.

"I don't even know. All I know is it was red and it didn't taste like it had alcohol in it." Maddie said despite her protests that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Those are the ones that sneak up on you. I prefer to be able to taste my alcohol. That way I know how much I've drank and when to quit." Tandy advised her.

"Zach kept giving it to me. I thought I would be ok." Maddie shrugged.

"You've just learned a very important lesson. Never drink anything just because someone gives it to. Coupled with never take a drink from a strange man." Tandy arched her eyebrow.

"From now on I'm not drinking anything that isn't water. My head feels like someone is jackhammering inside it." Maddie grabbed her temples.

"I'm gonna do a little something for that." Tandy grabbed a glass and poured vodka on the bottom and she poured tomato juice on top of that. "Here," She handed it to Maddie.

"What is this?" Maddie asked.

"Don't ask questions and don't tell your mother. Just drink it." Tandy instructed her.

Maddie drank it one gulp. "That was horrible."

"You are not related to your pawpaw or your mawmaw. That was a bloody Mary." Tandy laughed at her softly.

"What's it supposed to do?" Maddie inquired.

"It's the hair of the dog. You go back to what bit you and bite it harder. It levels you out. You'll thank me for it later." Tandy winked at her.

"Whatever you say." Maddie shook her head. "Where are mom and dad?"

"Dean from PT is here working with your mom and Deacon is in the music room." Tandy informed her.

Rayna hobbled into the room on her crutches. "Morning, sunshine," She greeted her daughter.

"Ugh, morning, mom." Maddie grumbled.

"Well, if this don't take me back 'bout twenty years I don't know what does." Rayna frowned slightly.

"I'm not dad." Maddie scowled.

"First of all I wouldn't let him hear you say that. He's worked very hard not to be that man anymore. Second of all I would lose the attitude. And third of all I was talking about the hangover you clearly have. What were you thinking?" Rayna sat down.

"Mom, my head hurts too bad to even argue with you." Maddie groaned.

"Serves you right. You shouldn't be out drinking like you're trying to get drunker than anyone has ever been." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

"And while we're on the subject you have a father and grandfather who are alcoholics. You have to be careful with your drinkin'." Deacon came into the room.

Maddie cradled her head in her hands. "I don't need a lecture or you to punish me. God is doing that for you."

"Welcome to the downside of gettin' drunk. That hangover is a bitch." Deacon nodded his head.

"Lesson learned," Rayna agreed.

"That it? You're not gonna ground me or yell at me?" Maddie looked surprised.

"Like you said, we don't have to punish you. God is doing that for us." Rayna retorted.

"I just don't get you two." Maddie would have shaken her head, but it hurt too bad.

"The first time daddy caught me drinking he made drink three glasses of scotch. The joke was on him I liked it." Tandy informed her.

"That sounds like something daddy would do." Rayna laughed softly.

"Daddy was a lot different with me than he was with you. You were the baby and you reminded him of mom." Tandy explained to her.

"You will defend that man until your last breath. I don't think you can help yourself." Rayna teased her.

"I can't it's a reflex action." Tandy admitted.

"Maybe try to retrain your brain." Rayna rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Hey, baby, wake up." Deacon stood over his wife.

Rayna had drifted off to sleep on the couch watching tv. She sat up and stretched with a groan. "Hey, babe, I'm sorry I didn't mean to fall sleep on you. I guess I was tired."

"I hate to wake you, but if you're feelin' up to it we have plans tonight. It is our anniversary after all. I'm not sure that this'll top the other night, but I did spend a lot of time thinkin' 'bout it." Deacon smiled at her lovingly.

"I don't wanna ruin our first anniversary after we waited so long to get here. If you'll carry me upstairs I'll start gettin' ready." Rayna yawned.

"I will gladly carry you upstairs, but I don't want you to think that you have to say yes to goin' out with me tonight." Deacon scooped her up off the couch.

"I have waited to be married to you since I was sixteen. I ain't lettin' that man take celebrating with you away from me." Rayna laid her head against his chest.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Deacon, when are you gonna tell me where we're going?" Rayna sat in the passenger seat of the truck blindfolded.

"You'll find out soon enough." Deacon replied.

Rayna could hear the amusement in her husband's voice. She toyed with the edge of the blindfold. "This isn't fun for me."

Deacon grabbed her hand so should would stop playing with the blindfold. "You'll find out soon enough. Don't make me have to tie your hands too. I might have to have my way with you while you're all tied up." His voice took on a seductive quality.

"You haven't done something like that to me since we were in our twenties." Rayna bit her bottom lip.

"If you play your cards right I just might have to fix that tonight." Deacon laughed.

"Don't make promises you don't intend on keeping." Rayna reached over and squeezed his thigh.

"Watch your step I have your crutches right here." Deacon helped her out of the truck and onto her crutches once they got to where they were going.

"This is a lot harder when I can't see where I'm going." Rayna complained.

"I'll take it off in just a minute." Deacon led her around by the sound of his voice.

"You are a pain in the ass." Rayna grumbled.

"Ok, stop right there." Deacon had her stop and took the blindfold off.

Rayna blinked her eyes and let them adjust to the light. She smiled when she realized where they were. "Babe, we're at the Ryman. You remembered."

"There's no way that I could ever forget." Deacon kissed her cheek.

The first expensive date he had taken her on had been to the Ryman it was back when they were still playing dive bars for tips. He'd saved up money for weeks from his side job to afford tickets. He would never forget the look of unbridled joy on his face when he told her where he was taking her. Back then all he'd been able to afford were the cheap seats in the balcony. That was why before every show they played they went up to the nosebleeds and sat.

"You are too perfect for words." Rayna looked at him lovingly.

"Come on, let's go use the artists' entrance." Deacon led her to the side entrance.

"Ms. Jaymes, it's good to see you." One of the ushers greeted them with a smile.

"We have tickets, but I didn't want to make a show of taking her through the front door." Deacon produced the tickets from his pocket.

"No, problem, Mr. Claybourne, I can help you out with finding your seats." The usher led them to their seats in the front row.

"Deacon," Rayna smiled from ear to ear.

"I could afford the good seats this time." Deacon helped her into her seat.

"I don't need the good seats as long as I'm with you." Rayna pecked his cheek.

"I made you a promise and I'm finally gettin' to keep it." Deacon took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I've waited a long time for this. Not for you to keep your promise, but to have the life we always dreamed of together." Rayna sighed in contentment.

"I prayed for this every day for thirteen years." Deacon whispered in her ear softly.

* * *

After the Ryman Deacon took her to Robert's Western World.

"Babe, will you be ok if I go to the bathroom?" Deacon leaned over and put his mouth against her ear so she could hear him.

"I'll be fine. You don't have to watch me every second." Rayna assured him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are in for a treat tonight. Please help me welcome to the stage, Mr. Deacon Claybourne." The manager announced Deacon a few minutes later.

Deacon walked out on the stage and sat on the stool. He waved to the crowd. "This one is for Rayna." He started to play.

" _I'm gonna change my way of doin' things around here. Well, I'm turnin' over a new leaf gonna get myself in gear. 'Cause I've got a woman who's better than most and I've made a mess of her plans. Startin' today all I'm gonna be is her man."_ He'd poured his heart and soul into this song. He'd touched the pain without letting it consume him.

"' _Cause I've been a wild catter and a go-go getter been an SOB right down to the letter. I've had misadventures I've even got pictures. I'm even more than I can stand. Startin' today all I'm gonna be is her man."_ He'd put his wife through hell back in their early days together.

" _I'm gonna give it all back 'cause all I've done is take. Well I've put her on the back burner while I was out on the make. But I've got a woman who's good enough to give me a second chance again. And startin' today all I'm gonna be is her man."_ He closed his eyes and let the emotions take him back in time.

"' _Cause I've been a wild catter and a go-go getter been an SOB right down to the letter. I've had misadventures I've even got pictures. I'm even more than I can stand. Startin' today all I'm gonna be is her man."_

" _It's a little bit late, but I'm wisin' up now I'm takin' her by the hand. And startin' today all I'm gonna be is her man."_

Deacon opened his eyes and looked out at the crowd. "Thank you," He took his guitar off and exited the stage.

Rayna was wiping tears away from her eyes when Deacon came back to the table. "Baby, that was wonderful."

"I meant every word of it. The first anniversary is the paper anniversary and I figured it do it in style." Deacon took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Rayna opened the envelope and found the lyrics to the song he'd just sang written on it. "You are too damn sweet for your own good sometimes." She planted a kiss on his lips.

"I love you. Happy anniversary, baby." Deacon rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

"Take me home, babe." Rayna took his hand.

Deacon sat on the couch when they got home. Rayna had gone in her little room to change and came back out.

Rayna limped in on her crutches with a piece of paper.

"What do you have there?" Deacon looked confused.

"I have your anniversary present." Rayna handed him the sheet of paper.

Deacon read it and his eyes teared up. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Rayna nodded her head. "You know that I'm big on keeping my private life private, but I had to fix a mistake that I made. I gave that to my publicist to give to the press. I corrected what you said that day on Good Morning America. I'm sick of you looking like a deadbeat dad. I want the world to know that you didn't know about Maddie when she was born. I don't want anyone to think that you chose not to be a part of her life."

"Baby, you have no idea how happy this makes me." Deacon smiled through his tears.

"Honey, I love you and I just wanna put our most hurtful things behind us." Rayna told him.

"I love that way that sounds." Deacon agreed with her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 9

"Dad, we really need to get going. Where is mom?" Maddie tapped her foot impatiently.

"Maddie, please chill out for a minute. She's upstairs, you know that she needs help gettin' down here. I will go up and see what she's doin'." Deacon replied.

"This is really important. It's my single release party. It would be a good idea if I was there on time." Maddie pointed out to him.

"Relax, Maddie. You're gonna get there on time. Your momma was late before she got hurt. She's even slower now that she's on crutches." Deacon explained to her.

"Dad, this is so, so important." Maddie groaned.

"Take your car and head down there. I will get your mother and we will meet you there." Deacon came up with a compromise.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do at the kinda thing. I need you both there to make sure I don't mess up." Maddie stressed.

"Bucky will be there. He's there especially for you. He will tell you what to do and what to say. We aren't gonna be far behind you, though. Just go on. You know that we won't miss this for anythin' in the world. She probably just needs a little help gettin' ready." Deacon handed her the keys to her car and shooed her out the door. He couldn't deal with her and Rayna at the same time.

He turned on his heel and walked up the steps. "Please, let this woman at least be awake." He muttered under his breath.

He knew that the chances were fifty-fifty on whether she was awake or whether she had passed out from taking her pills after her PT session. That was par for the course lately. She couldn't sleep at night and she slept on and off all day. She didn't so much sleep as she was in a drug induced coma most of the day. It wasn't that he thought she had a problem with her pills, it was the part of her recovery she wasn't dealing with.

Every time he tried to talk to her about the nightmares or what had happened she shot him down cold. That was just her way. She didn't talk about things until she wanted to talk about them and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't to blame for Maddie's stubbornness that was all Rayna. He could be stubborn when the occasion called for it, but he was in a different league from his wife and daughter.

The bedroom light was on and so was the light in the bathroom. Rayna was sprawled out in the middle of the bed snoring with her mouth open.

Deacon sighed and ran his hands over his face. He shook his wife gently to wake her up. "Baby, wake up. You're snorin' like a trucker."

Rayna sat straight up and rubbed her eyes. "Huh? I'm up, I'm up."

"Do you know what you wanna wear? Your daughter is just as high strung as you are. If we don't get to this thing on time she's gonna flip." Deacon told her.

"It's hangin' up on the closet door." Rayna indicated where her outfit was. "Did you tell her to calm down and that everythin' was gonna be ok?"

Deacon grabbed her outfit for her. "Of course, I told her that, but she's just like you in some ways. I wouldn't be surprised if we got there and she's holdin' a cigarette."

"Don't you dare make fun of me right now. I only do that when I get really nervous." Rayna scoffed. "I need shoes too."

"Which shoes do you want?" Deacon went back into her closet. It was like walking into a strange land for him.

"Dean says it's time for me to get my confidence back. I will take my boots. I'm not quite ready for my heels yet." Rayna said after she thought it over for a minute.

"One pair of boots." Deacon sat her boots where she could easily slip her feet into them.

"You are a prince, honey." Rayna flashed him a smile.

"At the risk of pissin' ya off after a compliment like that. If you don't wanna talk to me 'bout what happened you need to talk to someone. You can't keep up takin' these pills like candy and sleepin' on and off all day. I can't help you if you won't let me in. More than anythin' I wanna help you, baby." Deacon stared into her eyes.

"Deacon, I'm fine. I will talk about it when I'm ready to talk about it. Not before then. It's still so jumbled up in my head. I want to get better and put this behind me." Rayna grabbed his arm to steady herself while she put her pants on.

"If that's what you really want that's what we will do. That's only gonna work for so much longer. You really do need to watch it with those pills I know better than anyone how addictive they are." Deacon offered her a word of advice.

"I know that you're concerned and I'm not indifferent to your concern, but you can't help me get to the place where I can let you help me." Rayna rattled off.

"I just wanted my feelings on the table." Deacon sighed softly.

"I hear your feelings. They will be fully taken into account." Rayna pecked his lips. "Now, let's go help our daughter launch her first single."

"Let's do it." Deacon gave her a small smile.

* * *

Rayna stood with Deacon holding her steady. She raised a glass of champagne. "I think by now everyone around here knows my story pretty well. I don't need to go over it again. When I was sixteen and startin' out I had all these stars in my eyes. I had these goals that I set for myself. As everyone knows I hit those goals and then some." She paused and waited for the laughter to die down. "As proud as I am of that there's somethin' or rather someone that I didn't see comin'. The young lady we are here to celebrate today. Maddie is one of the two things I've done with my life that I'm proudest of. She's more talented and shines even brighter than I did at her age." She had to get her emotions under control. "Maddie, you've always done things in your own time and at your own pace no matter how difficult that made things on anyone else." She winked at her daughter. "I'm so proud of you and I'm honored to be standing beside you as you start this new journey. You've waited a long time to get here. I hope it's everythin' you ever wanted." She finished her toast.

"Allow me to add to that." Deacon lifted his water glass. "Maddie, you're half me and half this brilliant woman standin' next to me, but you got a talent that's all your own. You got no idea how much it means to me to be standin' here with you ready to help ya write the next chapter of your life. Remember to always have a good time."

The room erupted into applause.

"Wow, I don't even know what to say to that." Maddie smiled from ear to ear.

Bucky looked at her with pride shining in his eyes. "I'm going to ask you what I asked your mom a long time ago. You ready?"

"For what?" Maddie looked confused.

"For the big show. This is it, kiddo." Bucky squeezed her shoulder.

Maddie nodded her head. "I was born ready."

"Let's start then. First up you have a very casual interview with Pitch Fork." Rayna smiled at her reassuringly.

"I can handle it, mom." Maddie smiled back at her.

"Go for it then. Buck will be by your side the whole time." Deacon urged her. "Good luck," he kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, dad," Maddie gave him a quick hug and let Bucky lead her off to be interviewed.

"Deacon, there goes our baby. It seems like yesterday she was learnin' to crawl on the tour bus." Rayna's eyes filled with tears.

"She grew up in the blink of an eye. I got to be her daddy for five minutes I guess that's somethin'. I can't get over the fact that I had anythin' to do with helpin' to make that wonderful creature." Deacon kissed her cheek softly so he didn't smear her lipstick.

"Sometimes even I believe I have a hard time believing that I had anything to do with that amazing young woman." Rayna squeezed his hand.

"She's better off for havin' you as a momma." Deacon whispered in her ear.

"You're so sweet, babe." Rayna smiled at him. "Ok, we are gonna try somethin'. I'm gonna hang onto your arm and make my way around the room without those crutches."

"Let me lead the way then." Deacon offered his arm for her to hold on to.

"Thank you, sir." Rayna took his arm.

"Easy, just take it slow. We ain't runnin' a race." Deacon encouraged her.

"When have those words ever described a thing I've done?" Rayna smirked at him.

"It hasn't since the day I met you." Deacon retorted.

"You do what you do best try to keep up." Rayna winked.

"You know that your wish is my command." Deacon bantered back.

"Sugar, I've had you wrapped 'round my finger since the moment we met." Rayna couldn't let him get in the last word.

"Rayna, it's good to see you out." Zach walked up.

"It's good to be out." Rayna plastered her stage smile on her face.

"I have to admit that you were right about doing Maddie's single drop this way." Zach conceded defeat.

"I'm always right you should ask my husband. The only man I've haven't been able to convince of that is my physical therapist. He's mean and he likes to make me do things I don't like." Rayna could effortlessly charm people.

"We need you to get back in fighting shape and back in the office. Listen to your physical therapist. Your sister is mean and she makes me do things that I don't like." Zach advised her.

"I plan on it. Tandy is like that. She's our father's daughter. She can be very scary when she wants to be." Rayna shrugged.

"She scares me." Zach nodded his head.

"There's someone else you should be scared of." Deacon leaned in and lowered his voice. "If you ever get my daughter drunk again I will come for you."

"Deacon, I didn't mean for that to happen. I didn't realize that it was gonna hit her like that." Zach took a step back.

"You may not realize this, but I'm an alcoholic, my father was an alcoholic, and that's not somethin' that we play 'round with in this family. That ain't somethin' I want for my daughter. You need to learn your place and stay in your lane." Deacon pointed his finger at him.

Zach held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "I hear you, man. I got it."

"Zach, he's obviously off his leash. It would be wise for you to walk away." Rayna warned him.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go over there." Zach walked away quickly.

"You need to behave yourself." Rayna glared at her husband.

"I'm sorry. You know how I feel about him." Deacon let out a ragged breath.

"I know that you don't like him, but today isn't about him. Today is about our perfect daughter. Let's focus on her." Rayna redirected his attention.

Deacon looked over at Maddie and swelled up with pride. "Look at how she's handlin' that reporter. She's a natural."

"She is. She's more ready for this than I realized." Rayna agreed with him.

"Rayna, look at you. It's so good to see you." Liz her stylist came up and talked to her a little while later.

"Liz, what are you doin' here?" Rayna smiled and hugged her with her free arm.

"This is Maddie's big day. I wasn't gonna miss this for anythin' in the world. I watched her grow up from a baby." Liz hugged her back. "And look at your handsome bodyguard here. I hear he's been doin' a pretty good job of keepin' the label runnin' without you."

"Bite me, Liz." Deacon teased. They went back a long way.

"I would, but I'm sure that you're dirty and you taste funny." Liz spit back at him.

"Alright, you two behave." Rayna warned them playfully.

"We don't behave you know that by now." Deacon teased her.

"Deacon, I have a hard time believin' that you had anythin' to do with makin' that girl. She's a little too perfect to be yours. If I hadn't just read Rayna's latest press release I wouldn't have believed it." Liz joked.

"Blame it on the pain meds. It was my anniversary present to him. I thought that people should know he really is a good guy." Rayna replied.

"I've known him for a long time and even I can't argue with that." Liz agreed. She looked over at Maddie again. "She's gonna be big."

"She shines just like her momma." Deacon was so proud of his daughter he was about to burst.

"How is she doing today, Deacon?" Tandy slid up beside her brother-in-law.

"She was passed out after PT. She woke up screamin' last night. She tosses and turns all night. I've checked her pill bottles and I know she's takin' 'em more frequently than she should be. I can't get her to talk to me. I think she wants to stick her head in the sand and pretend like it didn't happen." Deacon looked over to where Rayna sat talking to some of the staffers from Highway 65.

"I think we've ignored this issue as long as we can. It's time to do something about it." Tandy replied.

"Yeah, it's time to do something about it." Deacon sighed loudly.

Tandy rubbed his arm reassuringly. "It's gonna be ok, Deacon. We will get her through this."

"In the mean time what do we do 'bout keepin' that kid from destroyin' her company?" Deacon ran his hands over his face.

"We will figure something out. Between you, me, and Bucky we can handle this." Tandy promised him.

"Ok, Tandy, get the ball rollin'. We need to do this now." Deacon agreed.

"I'll get the information together and I'll bring it to you." Tandy slipped off to make a phone.

Deacon looked over at his wife again and his heart broke for her. It made him want a drink worse than he had wanted one in a long time. He felt powerless to do anything to help her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. This is the start of the angsty stuff, but I promise you that it'll be worth the payoff. Until next time please review.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 10

"We are agreed that we present a strong united front. She's a force of nature and if we don't stand together on this she will run us over." Deacon looked at Tandy and Bucky.

"I'm with you on this and you know that." Tandy assured him.

"I'm always for what's good for her even when it makes her unhappy." Bucky agreed.

They were gathered in the kitchen while Rayna did her PT.

"She's gonna balk and she's gonna balk hard. This is comin' from someone who knows her as well as I do and who has been on the receivin' end of more interventions than I care to count. She's gonna get combative and mean. She's gonna say things that she doesn't mean. We have to be strong." Deacon shook his head sadly.

Tandy rubbed his back in show of support. "If she gets combative and mean you let me take over. I know that you two have this whole long history with her, but I've still known her longer than you. Let me battle her. I've seen you two fight and it's not pretty. I will take the bullet on that one. I will be the one she gets mad at. I want her to think that this was my idea. If we fail at this and she hits rock bottom she's gonna need you. We will make up, but I'm expendable. She can't get through this without you."

Deacon nodded his head stoically. "You ain't gotta take the hit for me."

"Yeah, I do. When you two really go at it you destroy each other and your relationship lands on shaky ground. When you got married I told you if you messed up again I would come after you with the force of a hurricane. What I didn't tell you was that I would help you take care of her when you needed my help. Right now you need my help. As much as it galls me to admit it. You're the one she's gonna need. You're the one she has always needed." Tandy replied.

"Ok, we will try to do this your way." Deacon agreed with her.

"Deacon, it's important that you remember no matter what she says you have to keep your temper under control. If you lose it that isn't gonna help anything." Bucky reminded him.

"I got it, Buck. I will do my best not to react." Deacon nodded his head again and chewed on his lip.

"Don't worry so much. She is gonna make some noise, but in the end she will do what has to be done. Sometimes you just have to drag her kicking and screaming to the right way." Bucky reassured him.

"She's a lot more stubborn than you realize." Deacon pointed out to him.

"I know how stubborn she is." Bucky told him.

"Buck, she goes easy on you. I know that it may not seem like it, but she does. I'm the only person who has ever been able to deal with the full force of her stormy moods." Deacon didn't see where this would be as easy as they thought it would be.

"Deacon, we understand what you're saying. We are asking you to let us take the bullets for you. You've worked your ass off trying to get my sister better. I owe you this she would have told you about Maddie if it weren't for me. Every time she thought about it I talked her out of it. Even as Maddie got older. She always wanted to be the one to tell you herself." Tandy admitted her part in Maddie's paternity scandal.

"You two are takin' the flak. I just hope you know what you're doin'. She can be a bitch when she's in the mood to be." Deacon laughed dryly.

"I think I can out class her in the bitch department." Tandy replied.

"You out class everyone in that department." Bucky shook his head.

Deacon perked up when he heard the front door close. "Ok, it's show time."

Rayna hobbled into the kitchen on her crutches a minute later. "I swear that man comes up with new and exciting ways to torture me every day."

"He keepin' you on your toes?" Deacon leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

"He's torturing me." Rayna sat down on a stool.

"You are just being stubborn." Tandy rolled her eyes.

Rayna arched her eyebrow, but she let the comment pass. "The three of you have me worried. You looked kinda serious when I walked in here."

Deacon crossed his arms over his chest, Tandy leaned against the counter, and Bucky looked down on the floor.

Rayna looked between the three of them. "One of you tell me what the hell is going on." She frowned deeply.

"Ray, we need to talk to you." Deacon spoke up first.

"About what?" Rayna asked.

"Babe, you aren't doing as well as you would have us all think you are. Physically you are doing great, but mentally and emotionally not so much. I know about the nightmares and the flashbacks. I also know that you won't talk about it." Tandy told her.

"I'm fine I will talk about it when I'm ready." Rayna replied.

"What about the pills, Ray?" Bucky jumped in.

"Believe it or not gettin' your pelvis broke is very painful. I had cracked ribs too. That pain doesn't go away over night." Rayna frowned.

"Baby, you've been takin' them damn pills like candy. Not just for the pain, but to help you sleep too. I ain't stupid. I had them demons chasin' me." Deacon spoke to her gently and lovingly.

"I'm not taking more of those pills than what I need." Rayna defended herself.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. After Vince died in that accident I was all busted up and poppin' Vicodin like they were M&Ms. That's when things got real bad for us. That's when you left me. I barely remember anythin' from the year after he died. I woke up in the back of my truck in Franklin one mornin' and I still have no idea how I got there. I put you through hell and I know I did." Deacon ran his hands over his face.

"This isn't that. I am in pain. I'm not you. I once caught you crushing those pills up and snorting them. I had to rush you to the hospital because you overdosed. You've never met a drug or a drink you didn't like." Rayna retorted.

"Hey, look at me. You want to get mad at someone you get mad at me. I pried and got him to tell me what was going on. I asked him to let me help take care of you." Tandy tried to refocus her sister's attention.

"Ray, we've got a treatment center lined up for you. All you have to do is go." Bucky was the one to fall on that grenade.

"You three have absolutely lost your minds. I'm not going to rehab and you can forget that." Rayna scoffed.

"It's not rehab in the sense that I went to rehab. It's just a facility that will help you get straightened out." Deacon explained to her.

"I just said I'm not going. I don't have a problem. I can't believe that any of you think I do." Rayna glared at them.

"Ray, we wouldn't have brought this up if we didn't think it would do you some good. No one thinks that you have a problem. It's just that if you keep going the way you've been going you are gonna have a problem." Bucky spoke again.

"I'll tell you what. Until I tell one of you that I have a problem. I'm gonna go in the other room and forget this conversation ever happened." Rayna stormed off the best she could on her crutches and slammed the door to her downstairs bedroom.

"Well, that could have gone better." Tandy sighed.

"It could have gone much worse. That was tame for her. I didn't even get anythin' thrown at my head." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"I've seen her have what she calls diva dips that were worse than that." Bucky agreed.

"I'm gonna go finish talking to her. I'm not done." Tandy seethed.

"Tandy, take my advice you let it go for now. Let's let her calm down a little. You may have known her longer, but I've had more fights with her. You don't know how pissed off she can get." Deacon advised her.

"I want to piss her off. I want her to get some of that fire flashing." Tandy followed after her sister.

"You didn't tell her that Rayna almost always locks the door?" Bucky laughed a little.

"Let her learn that the hard way." Deacon sighed.

"How do you think that we will finally get her to go along with this?" Bucky asked.

"She may have to hit rock bottom and that scares the hell out of me." Deacon ran his hands over his face.

"She doesn't know the meaning of rock bottom. I'm scared to see what that looks like for her. There are times that she's been laid lower than anyone should ever be and still she kept going. If she gets hooked on those pills I don't wanna know what it takes to make her stop." Bucky shuddered.

"It scares me too, Buck. Who did we get her for this rehab?" Deacon asked.

"The same guy that finally got it to stick with you." Bucky answered.

"Oh, he's gonna be pissed when he sees me. I haven't talked to him in a while." Deacon replied.

"You can count on that." Bucky nodded his head.

* * *

Maddie came in to the house and found it dark. She didn't see her dad, mom, aunt, or sister around anywhere. She walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter. _Went into the office with Aunt Tandy your momma is upstairs in the bedroom. Check on her for me and call me. See you when I get home. Love, dad._

She grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and headed upstairs to check on Rayna. The bedroom lights were off except for the ones in the bathroom. The bed was empty.

"Mom, where are you?" Maddie called out.

"In here," Rayna called back. Her words were slurred.

Maddie went into the bathroom and found her mother laying on the floor. "Mom, what are you doing down there?"

"I was going to the bathroom and I fell." Rayna explained. She was holding a towel to her elbow to stop the flow of blood.

"Why did dad leave you here alone?" Maddie questioned.

"Because I asked him to. He was annoying me and I told him I'd be fine on my own for a little while." Rayna's eyes were glassy and her words were unclear.

"Mom, I'm calling an ambulance." Maddie told her.

"You don't have to do that." Rayna waved off her concern.

"I really do need to do that. I don't know if you hit your head or what, but you're not acting right." Maddie pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

"Maddie, I wish you wouldn't you're only gonna worry your father." Rayna argued with her.

"He needs to be worried about you. I think we all do." Maddie retorted.

Deacon was sitting in a meeting with Tandy and Zach when his cell phone rang. "Hello," his brows knitted together as he listened to his daughter's voice going a mile a minute. "Maddie, slow down. I can't understand a word you're sayin'." He waited for her to calm down. His eyes went wide. He jumped up and grabbed his coat. "I'll be right there."

"Deacon?" Tandy knew only one thing would make him jump up like that.

"Your sister fell." Deacon replied.

"I'll go with you." Tandy grabbed her coat too.

Rayna was sitting up in a hospital bed getting her elbow tended to when Deacon walked in.

"Hey, handsome," She flashed him a smile.

"Are you ok?" Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"I'm fine. Maddie got scared and over reacted." Rayna assured him.

"Maddie did the right thing. What happened?" Deacon looked her over. He could tell that she was a little off.

"I got up to use the bathroom and I fell. I guess my pills made me a little dizzy." Rayna tried to downplay it.

"Ray, at the risk of makin' you mad again, I think that there is a problem that needs to be addressed." Deacon spoke to her gently.

Rayna's eyes teared up and she nodded her head. "I know, I'm sorry I got so mad at ya'll earlier. I know that you were only tryin' to help me."

"Shh, babe, it's ok." Deacon put his arms around her and held her.

"What are we gonna do? What do you have set up?" Rayna asked him.

"You would go into a physical therapy rehab and get whatever help you need in there that way it could be spun as your physical recovery." Deacon explained to her.

"Do it. I will do anything I have to do to get better. I'm sorry for putting you through this." Rayna broke down crying.

"It's ok. I've put you through much worse than this. You didn't ask for this. There was nothin' you coulda done to prevent this." Deacon rubbed her back and ran his fingers through his hair. "I should have never left you alone at home."

Rayna held tight to him. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"I don't wanna hear you say that you're sorry. This couldn't have been helped." Deacon did his best to comfort her.

"I fell and I let my little girl find me like that." Rayna groaned.

"Maddie, is strong you have to believe that. She can handle this. It's a good thing that she found you. Where is she?" Deacon kissed her forehead.

"I made her leave to go pick up Daphne from school. I'm goin' away and I don't know how my baby is gonna handle that." Rayna nibbled on her bottom lip.

"I promise you that she is gonna be ok. I will take good care of her. You wouldn't have given me power of attorney over her if you thought I wouldn't." Deacon reassured her.

"I know you will. I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about how me not being around will affect her. She's barely left my side since I got out of the hospital." Rayna groaned.

"It's all gonna be ok, Ray. She will be ok. I will make sure of it." Deacon promised her.

Rayna's doctor walked in at that moment. "Good news, you didn't reinjure yourself when you fell." She reported.

"That is great news." Deacon breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, I can go home?" Rayna asked hopefully. She wanted to spend some time with her girls before she had to go away.

"I don't see any problems with that. I will get your discharge papers." She replied.

"Thank you," Rayna smiled gratefully.

"I will grab your crutches. I should warn you that your sister came with me." Deacon told her.

"I'm not surprised by that at all." Rayna sighed. She and Tandy had had one hell of a round earlier.

"She was worried 'bout you. Give her a break." Deacon stuck his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

"I'm surprised that you're defending her." Rayna's eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

"Oh, I ain't. I can just tell how worried she is 'bout you." Deacon replied.

"I think I have one thing to thank that horrible man for. He finally got two of the people I love the most in this world to be friends." Rayna chuckled dryly.

"At least you can make a small joke now." Deacon kissed her cheek.

* * *

Rayna stared out the window as Deacon's truck climbed the hill up into the Smokey Mountains. She was thoughtfully quiet. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. Four times it had been Deacon sitting in the passenger seat while she drove him to rehab. She didn't like the way things looked on the other side of it. They'd spent the night before having family time and it meant more to her than she could put into words.

"We're almost there." Deacon commented to break the silence.

"We've been there before. I can't believe that we're here again. I don't want you to walk in with me." Rayna turned her head to look at him.

"This is a little different than it was when it was me in this position. Why don't you want me to walk you in?" Deacon knitted his brow together.

"I don't want you to walk me in for the same reasons you never wanted me to walk you in. I dropped you at the door and I picked you up in the same place." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

"I already know what goes on in a rehab intake. That's why I didn't want you to take me in. That reason doesn't wash for you." Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"Babe, please give me this." Rayna pleaded with him.

"If that's what you need then that's what I'll do for you. Just know that I will be right outside those doors waitin' for you when you get outta here." Deacon reached over and took her hand.

Rayna squeezed his hand. "I promise you this is the last time we will ever have to do this."

"Honey, this is different than the rehabs that I was in. This is a PT rehab. They are gonna assess you and they will get that pill habit under control. I don't think that you're an addict. I think you've built up a dependency." Deacon rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Babe, I'm gonna get better, I promise." Rayna swore to him.

"I know that you will. When you set your mind to somethin' I don't doubt for a minute that you'll make it." Deacon offered her a smile.

"I'm gonna do my best." Rayna promised him.

"I know that you will and that's all I expect." Deacon reassured her.

"All I expect from you is that you'll take care of our girls. I mean it. I don't want you to worry about me. I want you to take care of them." Rayna said gravely.

"I will take care of those girls. That is the last thing that you have to worry about. I will do whatever I have to do to make sure they are ok." Deacon swore to her. He pulled into the rehab facility. "Here we are."

"I know that you will." Rayna put her hand on his cheek and kissed him deeply. "I love you and I know that you didn't sign up for all of this."

"For better or worse, baby. That's the vows. I'm in it for it all." Deacon rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm in it too." Rayna took a deep breath. "I better go in there before I change my mind."

"Of course. I love you so damn much, Ray." Deacon sighed deeply.

"I love you too, baby." Rayna gave him a huge hug.

"I'll be right here when you get out." Deacon handed her, her crutches. His voice caught. He had to let her get out before he begged her not to go.

"I know you will be." Rayna got out of the truck and let an attendant take her bags.

Deacon waved at her and drove away.

Rayna sat down in an office after she'd gone through the intake process. She was alone in the room. She fidgeted around in her chair. She waited a full five minutes before a man with a balding head and glasses walked in.

"You must be Rayna. You can call me Toby. I'm here especially for you. Your husband, sister, and manger are all worried about you." Toby sat down at the desk.

"They all have a tendency to worry too much." Rayna replied.

"I'll ask you point blank. Do you think you're an addict?" Toby folded his hands together.

"Um, honestly I don't know." Rayna answered truthfully.

"If I asked ten addicts that question I'd get the same answer. They would tell me no. That gives me high hopes for you." Toby nodded his head thoughtfully.

"That's a relief to hear." Rayna snorted.

"Good, you have some fire in you I like that. It means that you're willing to fight." Toby observed.

"You're tryin' to bait me." Rayna called him out.

Toby smiled. "You caught me. You were honest with me, so I'll be honest with you. I don't think you're an addict. I don't think you're an addict. I think that you have other problems that need to be addressed. I'm not gonna force you to talk about it with me now. But at some point we will talk about what you went through."

"Is that all you have for me?" Rayna asked. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of talking about what that man had done to her.

"That's all I have for you right now. I just wanted to introduce myself. I will let you get settled in. I'm sure that they will want to over their plan for you. From what I understand you're doing better physically than can reasonably be expected." Toby replied.

"Ok, I will go get settled in. When is my next session with you?" Rayna stood up on her crutches.

"I will see you again tomorrow. You may as well get used to me. I'm not gonna be easy on you and I don't think you really want that." Toby laid down the law.

"Bring it on, I'm ready for you." Rayna assured him.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 11

"Rayna, you can start talking any time or we can sit here in awkward silence again. It's up to you." Toby tapped his fingers on his desk.

"How about you tell me what you want me to say and then we can go from there?" Rayna countered.

"I'm not your enemy you don't have to think of me in those terms. You can tell me whatever you want to tell me and you can start wherever you want to start. We already established that you aren't an addict and you need my help with PTSD." Toby replied. They had been at this for a week and he hadn't gotten much out of her yet.

"Do you want me to start with my mother dying when I was young? My father kicking me out of the house? My boyfriend being an alcoholic? Me lying to the love of my life about our child for almost two decades? Or my stalker?" Rayna spit out sarcastically.

"Like I said. Start wherever you want to start." Toby pushed his glassed up on his nose.

"I have no idea where to start." Rayna admitted.

"Let's start with your mother then." Toby made the decision for her.

"I don't really know what to say about that. I was so young when she died and I still needed her. My mother was and still is the hero of my life. She was the one who understood me. I didn't have that again until I met Deacon. My father was absent after she died. He may or may not have had a hand in her accident I don't really know for sure. In a lot of ways, her dying shaped who I am. I didn't have her there for the things I needed her for. I got my period a week after she died. I like to think that she would have supported me with my dreams. She would have known what to do about the Deacon and Maddie situation. She would have given me the strength to tell him the truth." Rayna's thoughts were jumbled, so she let them just tumble out.

"I think that you have a lot of guilt and regret about the way you handled things with your husband and daughter. That's what's coming across to me." Toby observed.

"Of course, I regret it and I feel guilt. There's just nothing that I can do to change it now. There's nothing I can do to make that better. The only thing that I can do is try to show how sorry I am." Rayna crossed her arms over her chest.

"It seems to me that you have to find a way to forgive yourself. I'm not saying that in anyway added to your PTSD, but it's a possibility. Nothing is off limits in here. You can say whatever you want to say to me. This is a safe space. I'm not gonna put this in my memoirs." Toby made a weak joke.

"I don't know how to forgive myself." Rayna kept her guard up.

"That's something that we will work on over time. None of this gets solved in a day. I know that you would like for it to be that way, but it's not. You're not so far gone that it's gonna take forever, but it is gonna take time." Toby replied.

"That's time away from my girls." Rayna sighed.

"We don't have to do all of our sessions in here. When I feel like you're making progress I will feel comfortable signing off on you doing this out patient." Toby took his glasses off and laid them on the desk.

"Only after you've decided that I've been a good enough girl though, right?" Rayna quipped.

"I love the sarcasm. You're showing your spark that means we are getting somewhere." Toby smirked.

"I think you get way too much fun out of this." Rayna arched her eyebrow.

"That could be true. I don't have a very exciting life." Toby shrugged his shoulders. He consulted his watch. "That's time for now. You need to get to PT. We can pick this up later."

"Gladly," Rayna got up.

"Rayna, before you go. I have something for you to think about for later. If you could do something to fix the mess you made what would it be? I want to hear your craziest off the wall idea." Toby called out before she could leave.

"Whatever you say, Toby." Rayna left his office.

* * *

"Yeah, I understand. I know that she has been absent a lot, but we've had some stuff goin' on here lately." Deacon held his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he worked on his guitar.

"I also know that all students are responsible for keepin' up with their work. There's some kinda arrangement in place for her when she's out on the road with her momma. I could get her a tutor to make up the grades or a bunch of extra credit. There has to be some way for us to fix this situation." He replied.

"Alright, I will get somethin' worked out on this end then. I'm the only parent right now and I'm doin' the best I can. I don't want her to have to repeat this year. I'm gonna do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen." He said.

"Ok, I'll talk to you later then." He hung up the phone and set his guitar down.

He got up and walked into the kitchen to get a start on lunch. He had been going through the motions since Rayna had been away.

"Hey, dad," Maddie was sitting at the counter.

"Hey, Maddie, what's up?" Deacon smiled at her.

"Nothing much. I thought I would try to get a little writing done today." Maddie replied.

"Have you talked to your momma?" Deacon asked.

"I talked to her this morning. She sounded good. She sounds like herself." Maddie looked down.

"You know it would be ok if you're upset with her, right?" Deacon hadn't yet broached how she felt about what she'd walked in on.

"I'm not mad at her. I'm scared for her. I think I walked in on what she was trying to protect me from when she didn't tell you about me." Maddie sighed.

"This ain't that at all. This was beyond her control. She would have never chosen to put us through this." Deacon put his hand on top of hers.

"It's not fair, dad. She gets to make her mistakes, but she holds the rest of us to a higher standard." Maddie tried to explain how she was feeling.

"She doesn't mean to come across that way. Your momma she ain't perfect, but she does the best she knows how. I ain't sayin' that she's always right, but she always loves you." Deacon wasn't sure what else to say to her.

"I get it I guess. I know that this isn't her fault, but it's just not fair that she turned her back on you for the same thing she's going through right now." Maddie nibbled her bottom lip.

"Like I said it ain't the same thing. I was much worse than that. I guess I deserved what I got." Deacon took the blame so she wouldn't be mad at her mom.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we'd known from the start?" Maddie asked him.

"Only all the damn time. I woulda had more time to get this thing right with you. Maybe you wouldn't have turned against me in court. It's also possible I woulda screwed everythin' up with ya." Deacon admitted.

"Dad, again I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean a word of it." Maddie apologized again.

"I know that. It still stings a little sometimes, but that don't mean I don't love ya." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"So, who were you on the phone with?" Maddie changed the subject.

"That was your sister's school. That's another fire for me to put out. It's handled though. With the school anyway, I'm afraid your sister is gonna be another question." Deacon answered her.

"I'm so glad I don't have to deal with school anymore." Maddie sighed in relief.

"I'm a little sad that I ain't gonna get to see you graduate though." Deacon's eyes got a little misty. He quickly blinked the tears away. He'd already missed so much in her life and he'd been looking forward to having her high school graduation at least. "Your momma didn't much care for school either. You ain't the only one in this family."

"What are you gonna do about Daphne? Let me know if you need any help." Maddie offered her assistance.

"I'm gettin' her a tutor to get her all caught up. It shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks. The thing is gettin' her to go along with it." Deacon sighed.

"Good luck with that. She shouldn't be too tough a sell though. She's not me." Maddie made a joke.

"Thank God for that. I can only handle one of you at a time." Deacon teased back.

* * *

"Ok, craziest gun to your head scenario that you could come up with." Toby slid up next to Rayna in the cafeteria line.

"You're ambushing me at lunch time now?" Rayna glared at him.

"I am. I have nothing better to do with my day and this brings me joy." Toby replied.

"I'm starting to think that maybe you're the one who needs to see a professional." Rayna countered.

"That greatly depends on what kind of professional you mean." Toby bantered back.

"You are sick." Rayna shook her head at him.

"I'm kidding obviously. Now come on give me the gun to your head batshit crazy scenario you came up with." Toby urged her.

"Ok, gun to my head batshit crazy scenario. I have another baby with him." Rayna threw something out.

"Somehow I saw that answer coming. I think that's what you really want and you don't want to let yourself admit that." Toby replied.

"I don't need you tellin' me how I really feel. Don't you think I know when I'm hidin' somethin' from myself?" Rayna gave him a withering look.

"You're not as hopeless as I thought you were." Toby didn't back down.

"I haven't even broached the subject with him and it's just crazy to think that he would want to. Now would be a terrible time anyway." Rayna filled her tray with food.

"Ok point taken. I'll let it go for now. He's coming up tomorrow right?" Toby grabbed some food too.

"He will be here waiting for the doors to open. Him and both the girls will be here. I still don't understand why I had to wait over a week to see them." Rayna sat down at a table.

"Because I wanted you to get settled in. That man is a huge distraction where you're concerned. I can tell just from the way you talk about him and the way he talked about you on the phone when he was arranging for me to treat you." Toby sat next to her.

"You got that from hearing us talk about each other?" Rayna asked.

"It's pretty easy to tell how deeply you two care for each other. Neither of you has to say for it to be apparent." Toby answered her.

"Alright, you get to pry into my personal life. Let me pry into yours." Rayna countered.

"I'll let you ask a couple of questions. That's not going to hurt anything." Toby leaned back.

"Why do you do this for a living?" Rayna asked.

"I like to help people. I happen to be good at this. I kinda figured that out by accident and I've been doing it ever since." Toby told her.

"You're easy to talk to I'll give you that much." Rayna picked at her salad.

"You could have fooled me over the last week you haven't said much at all. I must be losing my touch." Toby joked.

"I had to warm up to you. For reasons that I can't imagine I have trust issues." Rayna shrugged.

"Let's talk about your dad throwing you out." Toby couldn't have set that up better if he'd tried.

"You're an ass." Rayna glared at him.

"I get that a lot." Toby smirked.

* * *

Deacon held a fast food bag out in front of him as he walked into Rayna's room.

"You're back already? That was fast." Rayna smiled.

"I had the girls go get lunch and I got ours to go. I thought it would be nice to have a meal together." Deacon sat down on the bed next to her.

"You're so sweet." Rayna leaned over and kissed him.

"I try to be. I miss you so damn much." Deacon rested his forehead against hers.

"I miss you too." Rayna ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm doin' the best I can with those girls, but they ain't makin' it easy on me." Deacon laughed lightly.

"Did you really expect anything else? They are ours. They are gonna make things as hard as they can on ya." Rayna pointed out to him.

"That's true. Daphne, is havin' a little trouble with school and I'm gettin' her a tutor to get her caught up." Deacon reported.

"Does she know that?" Rayna took her food out of the bag.

"Nope, I haven't had a chance to bring it up with her yet. I also wanted to talk to ya 'bout it." Deacon dug into his food.

"We can talk to her about it together. You are doing a good job, babe." Rayna took a bite of her burger.

"I'm doin' my best." Deacon winked at her.

"Oh, my God, this is the best thing I've had to eat all week. You are the best." Rayna talked with her mouth full.

"They starvin' you in here, babe?" Deacon teased.

"It feels like it." Rayna glared at him playfully.

"So, how do you like your shrink?" Deacon asked her.

"He's easy to talk to, he's really nice, and he's a pain in the ass." Rayna informed him.

"Do you feel like he's helpin' you?" Deacon looked at her knowingly.

"I guess so." Rayna shrugged.

"Have you talked to him 'bout the stuff you wouldn't tell me yet?" Deacon felt bad that he hadn't been able to help her.

"No, I haven't worked up the nerve yet. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's the best I can do for you right now." Rayna replied.

"I want you to know that's there's no rush, but I want my girl back home." Deacon gave her a lopsided grin.

"Your girl wants to be back at home. The counselor says that he will be ok with me doing this outpatient after I make enough progress." Rayna informed him.

"That's really great news, babe." Deacon took a sip of his soda.

"Don't get too excited yet. Like I said he's a pain in the ass and he will take forever to decide I'm ready to come home." Rayna sighed.

"Other than that how are you feelin'?" Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"I'm not in as much pain as I was before." Rayna told him.

"I'm really happy to hear that. I hated seein' ya in so much pain." Deacon reached over and took her hand.

Rayna squeezed his hand. "Thank you for bein' so strong. I am so proud of you, baby."

"I ain't doin' nothin' that you haven't done for me." Deacon stole a kiss.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Rayna called out.

Toby walked in and closed the door behind him. "How terrible is she making me out to be?"

"She actually talked nicer 'bout you than you deserve." Deacon offered him his hand.

Toby shook his hand and laughed. "You know you should have called me before you picked up a bottle right?"

"Yeah, I know, but I wasn't thinkin' too clearly that night." Deacon clapped him on the back.

"You two know each other?" Rayna looked between them questioningly.

"Toby is part of the reason the fifth stay in rehab worked. He kicked my ass into shape." Deacon explained.

"That and I was doing it as a personal favor. I had to make sure it worked." Toby shrugged.

"What does that mean?" Rayna knitted her brow.

"Well, we haven't been properly introduced." Toby held his hand out to her. "Dr. Toby Dawes, my brother may have a little bit more hair, but I have better facial hair."

"How did I not realize that you're Buck's brother?" Rayna looked blown away.

"Probably because he's got a better disposition than I do." Toby pointed out dryly.

"I have to ask just one question. Is his name really Bucky?" Rayna had known her manager for years and she'd never been able to get the truth out of him.

"It's Buckland and I've never known anyone to call him that. Not even our mother. I would remember I'm older to answer another question I'm sure you had. Also, I got into drug counseling because I used to have a five hundred dollar a day coke habit. It's hard to be a good shrink when you're high." Toby answered.

"Wow," Rayna didn't know what else to say.

"If you think I'm a jackass it's because my brother cares about you and I want to make sure this works." Toby retorted.

"I promise you he was probably a bigger jackass with me." Deacon chimed in.

"Oh, I was. You had your head up your ass." Toby gave him a look.

"Toby, just take care of her." Deacon rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I've got her on the road to recovery." Toby assured him.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. Just to clarify Rayna talking to Toby and Deacon in the kitchen with Maddie and Daphne is happening at the same time.

* * *

Chapter 12

"When it comes to my daddy, it's hard to explain things. He was a complex man. He was just as mean as he was complex when he wanted to be. Even when my momma was alive I don't remember him bein' really warm and cuddly. From what I'm told, despite how close he and my sister were, I was the apple of his eye. Tandy told me that he would sit at his desk in his home office and bounce me on his knee when I was little. That I would run to him when he walked in the door and he'd scoop me up in his arms. Accordin' to her everythin' that made him love me when I was little drove him nuts when I got older." Rayna reclined on the couch in Toby's office.

"And what was that?" Toby looked up from the notes he was making.

"That I'm like my momma. He loved her a hell of a lot more than she ever loved him. After she was a gone I was just a painful reminder." Rayna told him.

"I'm gonna ask the annoying shrink questions right now. How does that make you feel?" Toby made some more notes.

Rayna clenched her teeth and sighed. Her breath made a hissing sound. "It probably led to me makin' the biggest mistake of my life. He threw me outta the house at sixteen. It made me determined that if I ever had a daughter she was gonna know that she was a princess to her daddy. That was part of the reason that I didn't tell Deacon about Maddie. I wanted any child I had to know they were the apple of their daddy's eye."

"That's a reasonable expectation." Toby commented.

"I got that with Teddy. I can't say that he didn't adore both those girls, but there was always something missin' with his relationship with Maddie. I'm not sayin' that he didn't love her. He adored that little girl. I guess I was the one with the problem. There were times when I would imagine Deacon in his place." Rayna admitted.

"When you see Deacon with the girls how does that make you feel?" Toby scratched his beard.

"He's incredible with them. He's everythin' that every girl could want in a daddy. Except he's a dad now and not a daddy. He missed the fun part. He's doin' the hard part and he's doin' a damn good job of it. He's the daddy I needed when I was their age. He doesn't try to shape them into what he wants them to be. He tries to understand them. Apparently, at one point my daddy and I were close. I wish I could remember it." Rayna shrugged.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Back at the house, Deacon, Maddie, and Daphne were having a water fight in the kitchen. It had started out with Maddie putting too much soap in the breakfast dishes and it had escalated from there. He was spraying both the girls with the hose from the sink.

He was aware that they were running behind schedule, but this was fun and light. It was exactly what they needed. They had been through a lot of bullshit over the last few months. If Daphne was late for school and Maddie was late to the office, then so be it. He was going to do something to make sure that his girls were enjoying themselves.

"Dad!" Both girls complained loudly.

"You want me to stop you're gonna have to come stop me." Deacon laughed at him.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"You said that your father was complex, but that wasn't really elaborate." Toby looked over the top of his glasses at Rayna.

"He was shrewd, ruthless, and hard. I don't remember him showing me or Tandy a lot of affection. If you wanted his love you had to live your life according to his plan. I was never gonna do that. We butted heads constantly. Like I said, I'm just like my momma. About the only thing I got from him was my ambition. Other than that we weren't a thing a like and we didn't get along after I turned fifteen." Rayna clarified.

"Do you want me to tell you what I think or do you want to tell me what I think?" Toby arched his eyebrow.

"Toby, I can't begin to understand what goes on in that head of yours." Rayna scoffed.

"I think that you are more like your father than you realize. There are parts of you that can be cold and business like and you hate it. You try to shut those parts down. You do a pretty good job of it. And I think that's how you rationalize some of the tough decisions you have to make." Toby observed.

"I'm not a damn thing like him, Toby." Rayna protested.

"Fundamentally, no, you're not anything like him. However, I do think you have qualities in common with him." Toby knew that statement was going to go over like a lead balloon.

"I have never been anything, but warm and loving with my children. I've been present even when I was out on tour. They haven't gone a day wondering whether I love them or not." Rayna clenched her jaw.

"I think you have the same issues with control that accuse your father of having." Toby stated bluntly.

"I do not." Rayna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then whose fault was it that Maddie got emancipated? Whose fault was it that you let her think Teddy was her father? Whose fault was your first accident? Why'd you jump into a relationship with another man so fast without fixing the one with the man you'd loved since before you knew what love was? Why'd you agree to this business deal with Zach?" Toby threw a bunch of questions at her.

"Every decision I've made has been for my girls." Rayna seethed.

"That's the line you like to hide behind anyway." Toby challenged her.

"Then tell me how I think and feel." Rayna spit back at him.

"Whose fault was any of it, Rayna? Maddie's emancipation? Your first accident? You lying about her paternity?" Toby's voice rose a little bit.

"This is ridiculous. I don't have to answer that question. I've given my girls a good life." Rayna got louder.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Maddie opened the fridge and took out two cans of whipped cream. She tossed one of them to Daphne. "Let's get him, Daph."

"Now, this is hardly fair, ya'll. Two against one. All I did was squirt ya with a little water." Deacon backed up against the counter.

"We can take him." Daphne charged towards Deacon. She sprayed the front of his flannel shirt with whipped cream.

Maddie attacked him from the other side.

"That's it! I've had it with ya'll." Deacon threw soap suds from the sink on them.

The girls erupted in a batch of giggles.

"Now, look at the mess ya'll made in here. If you mother saw this she'd skin us all alive." Deacon was hit with a sharp pang in his chest. His wife was supposed to be here by his side for this.

He knew that she was at the best place for her right now, but it didn't make it any easier. They'd been deprived of years of these family moments. Now was supposed to be their time together. Now they were supposed to be able to enjoy the good stuff that had eluded them for so long.

"Let's take a picture and send it to her." Maddie suggested. She had picked up on the pain behind her father's words.

"Yeah, that's a great idea." Daphne chirped.

"Alright, why not?" Deacon agreed. He put his arm around each of them and posed for a selfie that Maddie took on her phone.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Don't answer the question. I don't care either way. I'm not the one who needs to get better." Toby yelled.

"I don't know what you want from me." Rayna stood up. She was a lot steadier on her feet now. The intensive PT had done wonders for her.

"I want an honest answer from you. That's what I want. You say you want to get better, but you fight me every step of the way and not in a good way." Toby shot back.

"There's no way for me to answer any of those questions." Rayna shook her head in denial.

"Yes, there is. You just don't want to answer them. Whose fault was everything I just mentioned?" Toby kept picking at her.

"Deacon! Ok? It was Deacon's fault!" Rayna screamed.

"That's it get mad. That's exactly what I want from you. Because if he'd have been able to stay sober you would have told him about Maddie. When you saw that the fifth rehab was gonna stick you wanted to tell him, but you knew he'd get drunk and he proved you right. The judge wouldn't have granted the emancipation if Deacon hadn't beat the living shit out of Frankie. And you damn sure wouldn't have been in the first accident if he hadn't gotten drunk after finding out he had a daughter." Toby stood up behind his desk and leaned over it.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" Rayna asked him.

"Not even close. That's not what I wanted to hear at all. I'll be the first to tell you that your husband was a first-rate drunk back in the day, but it can't all be his fault." Toby moved from behind his desk and stood in front of her.

"Then what do you want to hear?" Rayna would tell him whatever he wanted to hear if it meant she was one step closer to getting out of this place. She wanted to go home to her family.

"I want you to be real with me for five minutes, Taylor Swift. We both know that there was another answer at the tip of your tongue, but you went with the safe answer. Just like you always play it safe." Toby called her out.

"Taylor Swift?" Rayna arched her eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, you know damn well what that means." Toby stared her down.

"No, I don't." Rayna scoffed.

"Whose fault was it, Rayna?" Toby repeated.

"I don't know," Rayna answer flatly.

"Whose fault was it?" Toby's voice was elevated again.

"I just told you I don't know." Rayna screamed back at him.

Toby rubbed his eyebrows using his index finger and thumb. "Ok, let me ask you this. How'd your mother die?" He switched tactics.

"A car accident, you know that. I don't see what this has to do with what we're discussing." Rayna looked bewildered.

"Whose fault is it?" Toby started hammering her again.

Rayna's phone buzzed and she looked at it. She smiled at the picture of her family covered in whipped cream and soap suds, her daughters both soaking wet. She took a deep breath.

"Whose fault is it, Rayna?" Toby didn't let up.

"Mine, ok? It's mine! That's what you wanted to hear. That's what I wanted to say! It's my damn fault!" Rayna yelled at him.

"That's right. It's your fault. Deacon is an addict, but you stayed with him. I've heard the line you fed me from his former sponsor about he wasn't going to get clean as long as you stayed with him. Jesus, you've got a God complex to rival that of most surgeons. You had no control of whether he got clean or not. None of the other programs worked for him, because they addressed the drinking and not the things that caused the drinking. I fixed that, not you. And he's the one who had to put in the work." Toby retorted.

"I was scared he was going to drink himself to death." Rayna spoke through clenched teeth.

"You have control issues. You want to control everything. And when you're not in control and things don't go the right way you take that as proof that your way is the right way and everyone should have listened to you. Deacon was bad, I'll give you that, but you put up with it. You don't get a medal for staying with him so long. You were driving the car when you got hit. You made a conscious choice not to tell him he had a daughter. Instead of owning that you got engaged to a man you didn't really love or want to be with for that matter." Toby broke it down for her.

"So?" Rayna asked him.

"So, why do you think this thing with your stalker has affected you this way? By all accounts you handled it perfectly. You came out the winner in that one. It was scary I'll give you that, but it shouldn't have this effect on you. I'm not saying you're a control freak, I'm saying that you need to be in control. There is a difference." Toby explained to her.

"He victimized me and I'm no one's victim." Rayna wobbled on her feet and broke down crying.

"Ok, easy does it." Toby helped her onto the couch. "Just take deep breaths and get your composure back. Take as long as you need."

Rayna took a few minutes to get herself under control. "I had no idea how why that affected me so much. You cracked it."

"And why do you need to be in control?" Toby asked her.

"Because, I felt like I lost control of everything when my momma died." Rayna answered that one easily.

Toby broke out into a broad grin. "Congratulations, Rayna, you just had a breakthrough. Let's see what PT has to say about you and I'm comfortable releasing you for outpatient therapy."

"Really?" Rayna smiled.

"Really, I didn't mean to hammer you so hard, but it was the only way I was going to get you to see the light." Toby offered her an apology of sorts.

"I'm stubborn. I need someone just as stubborn. I'm sure your brother told you that about me." Rayna dried her tears with the hanky he'd given her.

"Another difference between me and my brother. You pay him to be nice to you. You pay me to tell you the cold, hard truth." Toby shrugged his shoulders.

"Believe it or not I pay him for the same thing. Sometimes he's the only one who can talk me down from a ledge." Rayna admitted.

"And he's very loyal. It was like pulling teeth to get him to tell me anything about Deacon that would be helpful when I first started treating him." Toby informed her.

Rayna thought that over for a minute. "You really think Maddie's emancipation wasn't his fault?"

"No, it wasn't his fault. In his shoes I would have done the same damn thing. The program is sacred. The way it works is any sins you admit to in that circle is tantamount to telling a doctor, a lawyer, or a priest. It shouldn't leave the room and be used against you in a court of law. That so-called sponsor of his should have known better. He was provoked and his prior bad acts shouldn't have been used against him. I'm not so sure that the judge wasn't paid off. There should have been a home study or something first. A normal judge would have removed him from the home before they removed Maddie." Toby answered her.

"At the risk of givin' you a bigger head than you already have, but I feel better already. You must be pretty good at your job." Rayna laughed softly.

"I'm very good at my job. I think it helps that I used to snort about a thousand bucks of coke up my nose at a time just because I could it gives me perspective." Toby shrugged.

"That's wonderful to hear." Rayna rolled her eyes.

"And before I send you home I want to do a session with you and Deacon. It's not couple's therapy it's more a Q and A on how he can help you. And it's to help you finally open up to him." Toby told him.

"Fine, if I must to get the fuck out of here." Rayna groaned.

"I won't push my luck and have you bring the girls in. If you want to protect them from that I can respect it." Toby gave her a bit of good news.

"I think I'd like to bring Maddie in, but Daphne should be spared." Rayna thought it over.

"Take your time and think about it. You don't want to make a decision you're gonna regret here. There's no shame in protecting them, but it's ok to let them know you're human too." Toby advised her.

* * *

Deacon was at the kitchen table building a castle for Daphne's history class. He looked up in annoyance when there was a knock on the door. "Fred, Barney, one of ya'll wanna get that? I'm kinda busy right now!" He jokingly called them Flintstone's characters.

"No, need for anyone to get up. It's just me. I wanted to knock and let you know I made it." Scarlett stepped in.

"Hey, sweetheart. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you're doin' for your cousin." Deacon looked at her over the rim of his glasses.

"It's no trouble at all. I was good at school. This is one of those times that little fact is helpful to someone other than me. She's goin' through a tough time. If I can help her out a little bit then I'm glad. You and Rayna have both done so much for me and I love that I get to help." Scarlett sat the backpack she'd brought with her down on the table.

"Daphne! Get down here please. Scarlett is here. Just 'cause I'm doin' your work for you doesn't mean she's gonna." Deacon called out. "Girl, you were basically my first child. You don't have to thank me for takin' care of you."

Scarlett sat a grocery bag on the counter. "I know you, so I took pity on those girls and brought food with me. You can live on takeout and questionable food out of a can, that's not fair to them. I'm gonna get Daphne started on her assignments then I'm gonna start on dinner."

"Hey, I will have you know that I've been cookin' lately. I haven't killed 'em or caused any trips to the hospital. I'll take the win where I can get it." Deacon retorted. "I'm not gonna turn down food that I don't have to cook, though. I may be crazy sometimes, but I ain't stupid."

Daphne stomped into the room. "What?"

"Hey, sweet pea, I'm here to help you pass this school year. We are gonna get it done and forgotten about. It's not the most fun thing in the world, but I'm gonna make it more bearable for you. Or at least I'm gonna try my best." Scarlett put her arm around her shoulders and guided her to the table.

Rayna and Deacon had decided that Scarlett was a better option over bringing some stranger in. They were both understandably uneasy about bringing someone they didn't know into the house. Plus, Scarlett had the patience of a saint and she was the best suited for the job of dealing with a teenage girl.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 13

Deacon, Maddie, and Rayna sat in Toby's office looking at each other blankly.

"Rayna, you can start talking any time you want to. There's no right or wrong thing to say here." Toby encouraged her.

"I guess the first thing I want to say is I'm sorry. I put y'all through a lot lately and it wasn't fair. Maddie, I'm stubborn I'm sure you know that by now. I'm part of where you get it from. I should have been dealin' with what I was feelin' instead of usin' those pills to cope with it. I never wanted you to find me on the floor that way. I didn't mean to scare you." Rayna reached over and took her daughter's hand.

"I know that, mom. You didn't mean for that to happen. It wasn't something you could help. You were sick and hurt. Dad explained it to me and I really do understand it." Maddie smiled at her.

Rayna stared at Deacon lovingly. "Of course, he did. He' pretty great that way. He's loyal to me no matter what I do. He's always had my back and he always will. That man is pretty damn great that way. He will make himself look bad to make me look good even when I don't deserve it."

"Every girl is entitled to a good relationship with her momma. I'm gonna do whatever I can to make sure that happens." Deacon shrugged.

"Now, we get to the apology that I owe you. I have issues with control that stem from my momma dyin' when I was young. I like to be the one in charge and that has led me to do some things that are unfair to you. I'm sorry that I have focused so much on your issues that I've ignored mine. You're not the only one in this relationship who is flawed. I just tend to hold your flaws over your head for longer." Rayna took his hand with her free hand.

"You know none of that matters to me. I love you anyway." Deacon shrugged a little.

"I want you to know that I'm gonna work on it. This is the reason I've had such a tough time with the stalker and the accident. I had no control over it. And I have to have someone else to blame when things go wrong." Rayna admitted.

"I've known that 'bout you since we got together." Deacon chuckled.

Rayna turned to Maddie again. "I didn't listen to you when you tried to tell me that you were ready to make music. I did to you what my daddy did to me. I ignored your dreams and I swore that I would never do that. The fact that you left and got emancipated is my fault. What you got up on that stand and said about your daddy is partially my fault. I hid your true paternity from you for most of your life. When you asked me why I blamed him for the fact I didn't tell you. That made you think it was ok to lie about him. I opened up about his dark side. I never really told you about his good side. That's the majority of who he is."

"Ray, you don't have to say this." Deacon tried to stop her.

Toby held his hand up like a traffic cop. "Let her talk, Deacon. She needs to say this. You're gonna have to stow your need to be her white knight."

"I made you think that it was ok to use his disease against him. The things that were said about him in that courtroom and the things that were dredged up shouldn't have been. Frankie was his sponsor he had no right to tell anyone else those things about him. I've seen him at his worst, but I've also seen him fight like hell every day since he went lower than rock bottom to stay sober. I should have told you that about him. I should have made sure that you knew you have a man you can be proud to call your daddy." Rayna spoke passionately.

Deacon's eyes teared up and he hid his face behind his hands, so his daughter wouldn't see him cry. "Christ, Ray," He got out around a strangled sob.

"I owe you that and so much more." Rayna leaned over and put her arms around him.

"I love you so damn much." Deacon held tight to her.

Maddie watched her parents closely. Every time she was alone with them she saw what true love looked like. "When is mom gonna be able to come home?"

"I'm glad you asked that. PT is very happy with the progress she's made. She's still in a lot of pain. That is to be expected. She had two serious injuries to major parts of her body. She is still gonna need her painkillers. The important thing to remember, and I can't stress this part enough is that she does not have a problem with narcotics. I know this because I have a problem with narcotics and because I had he blood tested when she came in here. She had therapeutic levels in her system. That is totally safe." Toby didn't really answer the question.

"Toby, answer the question." Rayna shook her head.

"What that means is, I'm gonna send her home. Let's get her back in her old routine. It'll be good for her. I think PT is even saying she can drive again provided she takes it easy on her painkillers before getting behind the wheel. As long as she stays up and stays moving there's no reason for her to continue with intensive PT." Toby answered.

"Thank God!" Deacon exclaimed. "Toby, you're a damn miracle worker. If I weren't a happily married man I'd kiss you."

Toby pointed at him. "Deacon, you stay over there. If you kiss me I'm gonna check to make sure you're not still drinking. However, I will say back when I was snorting things up my nose I wouldn't have been opposed." He smiled over at Maddie. "Further proof that your mother isn't an addict. We are very weird people."

"I will have to take your word for that." Maddie smirked.

"Bucky has his hands full with you, doesn't he?" Toby observed.

"Yes," Deacon and Rayna answered in unison.

"You guys aren't very nice to me." Maddie pouted.

"I'll give you a business card in case you want to talk about that in depth sometimes." Toby retorted.

"He really likes gettin' into people's heads. And for a head shrinker he isn't half bad." Deacon added.

"He fixed you?" Maddie asked.

"He didn't fix me. He helped me find the tools I needed to fix myself." Deacon corrected her.

"Before these two delve into a whole host of issues that will take all day let's stop it and get me outta here." Rayna stood up.

"I'll help you, mom." Maddie reached out to take her arm.

"Walk with me. I don't need y'all to hold me up anymore." Rayna smiled at her.

* * *

"Daph, can you set the table please?" Scarlett sat some plates down on the counter.

"I don't understand why we're making such a big deal out of Maddie and dad coming home for dinner." Daphne rolled her eyes, but she did as her cousin had asked.

"Because they could use a good home cooked meal. Y'all have been livin' off take out." Scarlett replied.

"That's because Deacon and I have been in the office. And the last time Maddie and Daphne tried to cook something the fire department showed up here." Tandy came in and put her briefcase down.

"She does have a point." Scarlett agreed with her.

"It was one time and it was Maddie's fault too." Daphne defended herself.

"Always blame your sister. That's what they are good for." Tandy laughed.

"You and Rayna have a messed up relationship, don't you?" Scarlett observed.

"I finished raising that kid. Yeah we have a messed up relationship." Tandy agreed with that.

"I'm supposed to have a sister to save me from conversations like this." Daphne groaned.

"My sister is the cause of conversations like this. I have the opposite problem." Tandy informed her.

"Hey, y'all, we're home! Is Daph in there?" Deacon called out from the front door.

"Yeah," Scarlett yelled back.

"Cover her eyes. I've got a surprise for her." Deacon responded.

Tandy put her hands over her niece's eyes. "Come on in."

"Hey, sweet girl, are they torturing you without me here?" Rayna said when she walked into the room.

Daphne broke free from her aunt with a huge smile on her face. "Mom! You're home!" She pulled her mother into a hug.

"I am. I missed you so much." Rayna hugged her tightly.

"I missed you too. Dad didn't tell me that you were going to be coming home this soon." Daphne continued to cling to her.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Rayna rubbed her back.

"This is the best surprise ever!" Daphne hugged her even tighter.

"I have somethin' to add to that. I figure Scarlett helped you get all your makeup work done. And as long as that's done it's no big deal. I'm gonna let you cut school for the rest of the week to be with your momma. She's gonna go into the office for a couple of days and then we are gonna go up to the cabin." Deacon added.

"That is awesome." Daphne smiled at him.

"It was Maddie's idea. Our little free bird decided that she wanted to hang out with her family after all." Deacon teased.

"I'm starting to rethink that, dad." Maddie teased back.

"Be thankful you have two other people as a buffer between you and him. I once went on a campin' trip alone with him. It was a little borin'. You aren't allowed to talk while you're fishin'." Scarlett snorted.

"Hey, you loved that campin' trip. And you really liked it that time I took you to the cabin." Deacon defended himself.

"The cabin was nice and great for writin' my poetry when I was young and angsty like those girls. You moped 'round 'cause you were missin' Rayna." Scarlett corrected him.

"I didn't mope 'round. That cabin is my happy place. I didn't even buy it for me, I bought it for her." Deacon pointed at Rayna.

"You didn't see the look on your face. It's pretty much the same look that was on Maddie's all the time there for awhile." Scarlett laughed when he scowled.

"They do both make the same face when they brood." Rayna agreed.

"We don't brood." Deacon protested.

"You both brood, babe." Rayna gave him a look.

"Why do I even bother to defend myself?" Deacon groaned.

"I don't know. You surrounded by women and you're never going to be right." Tandy pointed out to him.

"I officially give up. Let's eat." Deacon shook his head.

* * *

The next morning Rayna walked into the Highway 65 office to find her whole staff waiting lined up to welcome her back.

"Y'all, this is great, but not necessary at all." Rayna actually blushed.

"Rayna, it's so good to have you back." Zach hugged her.

"It's good to be back." Rayna plastered a stage smile on her face.

"Why don't we go back to the conference room and get you caught up on what's been going on?" Tandy suggested.

"That would be great." Rayna agreed quickly.

"Not as great as you think." Deacon snorted.

After a quick meeting, Rayna went into her office. She sat down behind her desk. From the moment she sat down all she could see was Hockney. She'd thought she was ready for this, but in hind sight maybe it hadn't been such a good idea.

Deacon came in a few minutes later to check on her. He took one look at her and dialed a number on her office phone. He hit the speaker button. "Toby, it's Deacon."

"She's been out less than twenty-four hours what did you already do to her?" Toby wasn't one for phone etiquette either.

"She's in the office and she's in the weeds. You're on speaker phone." Deacon replied.

"Rayna, tell me what's going on." Toby turned his attention to Rayna.

"I can't sit in this office without seeing that man in here. It's my office, but he tainted it." Rayna broke out of her fog when she heard him talk to her directly.

"I want you to listen to me. Go home. You're not ready to be there yet and that's fine. Or if you think you can work in another room try that. Just get yourself calmed down. That's the most important thing here. Do you have your Xanax?" Toby spoke to her gently.

"It's in her purse." Deacon took it out for her.

"Deacon, give her one pill and have her put it under her tongue. It will get into her blood stream faster." Toby instructed him.

Deacon handed her the pill. "You heard what Toby just said."

Rayna put the pill under her tongue and took a few deep breaths. "If I move into the conference room I should be able to get a little bit of work done."

"Deacon, take care of her. If you see that she can't handle it get her home." Toby ordered him.

"Will do, Toby." Deacon hung up the phone. "You're sure you wanna stay, babe?"

"I ain't lettin' that no good son of a bitch take another damn thing from me, babe." Rayna reached out for his hand.

Deacon took her hand and squeezed it. "Let's go into my office." He led her to the office space he'd been using.

"Oh, babe, this office is so you." Rayna took a look around. The only way this room resembled an office was that there was a desk. There wasn't even a computer on the desk. And there were guitar parts everywhere.

"I had to make my mark on this place before I run away and let you handle things again." Deacon gave her a crooked grin.

"It suits you." Rayna smiled back at him.

"Thanks, babe," Deacon took a seat on the couch that was in there. "My desk is yours."

Rayna sat down at his desk and opened her laptop. "Thank you. I don't care what anyone else has to say about you, you're a fine gentleman."

"Well, that' the highest compliment I've been paid by either of your father's daughters lately." Deacon winked at her.

"I'm just glad that you and my sister haven't killed each other yet." Rayna got back to work.

"It's a chore, but we have managed it." Deacon picked up a magazine.

An hour later Rayna slammed the lid closed on her laptop.

"You ok, babe?" Deacon looked up at her concerned.

"I'm thinking that Toby told me to get back to my routine, but that I needed to ease back in not try to hit the ground runnin'." Rayna replied.

"What do you mean, babe?" Deacon arched his eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean. I'm not ready to be here. I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable here again. I want to get out of here and go up to the cabin. I can work from there just as easily as I can from here." Rayna told him.

"I'll call the girls and tell them to pack a bag." Deacon pulled out his phone.

"Thank you for bein' so understandin' with me." Rayna leaned over and pecked his lips.

"You've given me way more chances than I deserve and you still ended up marryin' me." Deacon sent a text to his daughters.

"That's what you do when you love someone." Rayna shrugged.

"Ditto," Deacon stole another kiss from her.

"Let's give those girls some time to pack. Take me lunch." Rayna suggested.

"I would love that." Deacon of course agreed with her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Just to avoid any confusion I'm not going on CMT's version of the timeline I'm sticking with ABC's. Rayna was sixteen when they met and is around forty-four of forty-five in this story. Until next time please review.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks to all my reviwers.

* * *

Chapter 14

Rayna sat out on the front porch of the cabin in a rocker with a cup of coffee in her hand. She hadn't been able to sleep well and she didn't want to wake Deacon. That would have only led to a conversation she didn't feel like having with him. She knew that he needed to talk to him, but she couldn't make the words come.

She'd been out on the rocker for hours watchin the sun come up over the water. It had always given her some peace of mind. She used to do this a lot back when she'd been with Deacon and he was still drinking.

"You look like you're lost in thought right now." Deacon sat down in the rocker next to hers.

"Mornin', babe, I was just thinkin' 'bout a few things." Rayna smiled softly at him.

"Anythin' you wanna talk to me 'bout?" Deacon asked her hopefully.

"I know you don't wanna hear this, but I'm not ready to talk 'bout everythin' yet. It ain't 'cause I don't trust you, it's cause I need to figure out how to process it and put it into words." Rayna explained to him.

"That's just fine, babe. As long as you ain't shuttin' me out and we're communicatin' you get to take all the time you need." Deacon reached over and took her hand.

Rayna's eyes lit up and she smiled at him. "I think with all the hell we've put each other through I forgot just how wonderful you can be when you're on top of things."

"I'm doin' my best for you and our girls." Deacon smiled back at her.

"I didn't realize until Toby brought up how badly losin' my momma screwed me up." Rayna opened up to him.

Deacon squeezed her hand and let her know that she was safe and could keep talking. He didn't have to say anything for her to be reassured.

"I really don't like not bein' in control. That's why this is so hard for me to talk 'bout. I wasn't in control. I had no control of anythin' that happened to me. It was the scariest thing I've ever gone through and that was before the accident that almost took my life. There's nothin' more dangerous than an unstable person who thinks that they are right. I spewed a whole line of nonsense at him about how you go by your middle name too. There was a minute there when I wasn't sure I was gonna make it out of my office alive." Rayna was talking in a circle.

"Baby, you're the strongest woman I know. If anyone was gonna keep their head and make it outta that office alive it was you." Deacon spoke softly.

"You do know exactly what to say to make me feel better. You've always been able to do that." Rayna lifted his hand and kissed it.

"You've done the same thing for me many times. How many times did we sit right here on this porch while you reassured me that I could stop drinkin'? That you didn't love me any less 'cause I slipped again?" Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"If I have to go through this I'm glad that you're the one I'm goin' through it with." Rayna stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry that you're havin' such a hard time. I'd do anythin' to take this off you and put it on me." Deacon brushed a stray hair away from her face.

"Bein' here with you and the girls the last few days it's given me a lot of time to think. I could have died and I would have been remembered as a star who had a meteoric rise to the top, but couldn't bring the train into the station. I want to be more than that. I want this label to be seen as more than a vanity label. To do that I have some work to do. I need to get to work on a new album and I need to get to work on a new album. To do that I'm gonna have to find my sound again. I'm so lost right now and I don't know who I am anymore. I need to find myself again." Rayna spoke freely with him.

"What are you askin' me for, Ray?" Deacon looked a little lost.

"I need your blessin' for me to go out and do what I need to do to fix this." Rayna replied.

"What does that mean?" Deacon questioned.

"It means I think to be of any use to you or the girls I need to go out and do some soul searchin'. I need to go out on the road for a little while. That way I can get together the capital to get our business back from Zach. What I need from you is for you to keep takin' care of the girls and things at the office." Rayna laid it out on the table.

"I can do whatever you need me to do as long as you come back to me." Deacon took a deep breath.

"I know that my girls and my business are safe in your hands, because they aren't just mine they are ours. I need to get my spark back. I'm scared to even set foot in my office. I can't keep goin' on like that, babe." Rayna sighed.

"I want you to do what you need to do to fight back. Don't worry about things here. I will have everythin' taken care of." Deacon reassured her.

Rayna leaned over and kissed him. "You're perfect and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"When are you thinkin' 'bout takin' off?" Deacon asked.

"Not just yet. After I spend some more time with the girls. Maddie doesn't need it as much as Daphne does, but I'm not goin' away forever. I'll be poppin' in and out. It will never take more than a phone call to get me back home." Rayna promised him.

"You just let me know when you're ready to go and I'll take care of everythin'." Deacon kissed her hand.

"Are you two gonna sit out on this porch and be gross all morning or would it be possible to get some breakfast?" Maddie walked out on the porch and rolled her eyes.

"Good mornin' to you too, sunshine." Deacon grinned at his daughter.

"Do you two have to be all over each other at all times?" Maddie groaned.

"If we weren't always like this then you wouldn't be here." Rayna pointed out to her.

"I really don't wanna think about that." Maddie curled up her lip in disgust.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin'." Deacon commented.

"I need coffee to deal with this." Maddie went back into the cabin.

Rayna waited until she was back inside to laugh. "I don't know who she is more like sometimes you or me."

"It's one hell of a combination. I guess it's probably a good thing we only had one child." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know I used to think that it'd be nice to have a little boy just like you." Rayna replied.

"I am kinda drownin' in estrogen. That bein' said I think it'd be nice to have a little girl that looks just like you." Deacon played along.

"No, honey, we'd need a boy. I could just imagine how you'd be." Rayna elbowed him playfully. She wasn't so sure she was playing though. The more she thought about it the more she liked the idea. She just didn't know how he felt about it.

"Well, I know one teenage girl who needs us now. I better go make her some breakfast before she turns into a beast." Deacon shook his head.

* * *

"Babe, I really don't know how to thank you for putting your life on hold and coming here to help out." Rayna sat on the side of her sister's bed.

Tandy was putting things into her suitcase. "You're my baby sister and the only family I have left. I wasn't going to be anywhere, but here when you needed me. I'm not going anywhere yet, I'm just packing to save time later."

"Still, I appreciate you being here." Rayna smiled at her.

"You needed someone here to deal with the mess you've gotten your business in. My advice to you is this. Get rid of Zach as soon as you can." Tandy advised her.

"I knew that was a bad idea when I was getting into it. I needed the money, though. We had just paid to get Maddie out of her contract with Lenox Hill." Rayna sighed.

"I know you did what you had to do. I understand where you're coming from. You should have talked to me. I could have given you a bail out until you were back on your feet again." Tandy reasoned with her.

"I didn't want to have to ask you again. I asked you once when I started this label." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm you sister that's what I'm here for." Tandy replied.

"Truthfully, I didn't even think about it." Rayna admitted.

"Next time think first then ask me." Tandy shook her head. Her baby sister was always getting into messes because she didn't think things through first.

"I will keep that in mind." Rayna nodded her head in agreement.

"I've missed you despite all the trouble you cause." Tandy had a rare tender moment.

"I've missed you too." Rayna took her hand. "Would you mind very much if I came with you when you go back to San Francisco?"

"I don't mind at all if you come with me. I should warn you. I only plan staying about another month. I'm coming back home. I don't want to be away from you and the girls. Like I said you're the only family I have left." Tandy responded.

"I need to get out of here for a little while. I need to go somewhere that I'm not reminded of everythin' that just happened to me. I need somewhere that I can get some perspective." Rayna explained to her.

"You're welcome to come stay with me as long as you need to. I'm sure you've thought long and hard about this. What did Toby say?" Tandy zipped her suitcase.

"Toby said if it helps me work my way back into my normal routine that I should go for it." Rayna shrugged.

"Toby is a miracle worker. I doubt that Deacon would be doing this well if it hadn't been for him." Tandy informed her.

"You knew that he worked with Deacon?" Rayna shook her head. "Never mind. Forget I asked that. of course you knew about it. I sometimes forget that you and Bucky make such a good team for a reason."

"Bucky and I have a past you know this." Tandy smirked.

"I know you do dirty things with my manager." Rayna rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you wanted to talk to me. You don't get to make snarky comments about my love life." Tandy swatted at her playfully.

"Why not? You've never kept any type of comment about my love life from me." Rayna zinged her.

"You've never been particularly smart about your love life. That's why have to make comments about your love life." Tandy retorted.

"Hey, I've learned and grown when it comes to my love life. I took a chance and finally let myself feel what I'd kept buried for fifteen years. I let my feelings for him come back completely. I stopped bein' scared of our past. I've embraced him and I've never been happier." Rayna assured her.

"That's all that matters to me then." Tandy smiled. "What are you gonna do in San Francisco?"

"I don't know I may just relax and be a tourist. I've played there a few times, but I've never really got to take in the attractions." Rayna replied.

"You do whatever you need to do. I will keep in touch with Deacon about what's going on with the label." Tandy reassured her.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate all your help." Rayna smiled warmly.

"I'm your big sister, that's what I'm here for." Tandy put her hand on her baby sister's shoulder and squeezed it. "Do the girls know that you're leaving yet?"

"They do. They aren't happy about it. Especially Daphne, but she knows that I'm just a phone call away if she needs me." Rayna replied.

"I'm gonna enjoy getting some sister time in with you." Tandy grinned.

"I'm looking forward to it as well." Rayna smiled back.

* * *

"Daph, you seem anxious. Are you ok?" Deacon looked up over the top of his glasses at his stepdaughter. She was pacing the living room back and forth.

"I'm fine." Daphne went and sat behind the couch and hugged her knees.

Deacon sat his book down on the coffee table and sat behind the couch beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "You know I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong with you."

"It's just mom got on a plane and the last time she got on something that moved without us she got into an accident and she almost died." Daphne leaned against him.

"She's with your Aunt Tandy and trust me on this one, kid. She cherishes her as much as we do. She's not gonna let anythin' bad happen to her." Deacon reassured her.

"I just feel so anxious every time I'm away from her. It was ok when she was in the rehab center I knew that she was safe." Daphne laid her head on his shoulder.

"If that's what's buggin' ya. We can do somethin' 'bout it." Deacon pulled his phone out and dialed Rayna's number. He put it on speaker phone.

"Hey, babe, what are you doin'? We just got into Tandy's 'bout an hour ago. I was tryin' to unwind before I called you." Rayna's voice held the hint of a smile.

"You're on speaker phone. I'm sittin' here with Daphne and she wanted to make sure that you're ok." Deacon told her.

"Hey, sweet girl. I'm just fine. I'm sittin' on the deck of Aunt Tandy's condo right now." Rayna informed her.

"Hi, mom, it's good to hear your voice was the plane ride ok?" Daphne asked.

"It was good. No trouble at all." Rayna was able to read between the lines of what Deacon had said and she knew her daughter was worried about her.

"Good. I'm glad that you're ok." Daphne breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you sittin' next to Deacon?" Rayna asked her.

"Yeah, he's right here beside me." Daphne answered.

"Ok, I want you to hold on to him real tight and give him the biggest hug that you have in you." Rayna replied.

"Ok," Daphne hugged Deacon tightly.

"Good. Now I want you to imagine that those are my arms around you. But, let me tell you somethin', little girl. That cuddly guy who's arms you're in right now loves you to the ends of this earth and back. He will always be there for you and keep you safe even when I'm not there. His girls are his whole world and he'd do anythin' for us. If there's somethin' wrong with you, you can tell him and he will do his best to make it right. I love you so much." Rayna told her.

"I love you too, mom." Daphne smiled.

"Alright, I'm gonna talk to Deacon for a minute, but he's gonna stay right there and hold you for as long as you need." Rayna replied. "Deacon, take me off speaker."

Deacon did as she asked. "I'm here, babe."

"Honey, this is really messin' with her. I think she needs to talk to someone about this. Nothin' you or I can do is workin'." Rayna sighed.

"I will get right on that. I love you, babe. You take all the time you need. You just get better and come back to us. I have everythin' taken care of here. Don't you worry one little bit." Deacon assured her.

"I love you too. I will call you before I go to bed. You take care of our girls." Rayna retorted.

"I will. Talk to you later." Deacon hung up the phone.

* * *

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 15

"Toby, I don't know how much she is gonna go for this or if this is even somethin' that you can handle. I mean she is only thirteen." Deacon sat in the den with the other man.

"If you would rather have a therapist who specializes in children I can certainly hook you up with one, but I do know how to deal with her. Just by the list of symptoms that you've given me I would say that she's suffering from PTSD with a little generalized anxiety disorder mixed in to make things fun. You take her to a child therapist and they are gonna throw a bunch of meds at her that will turn her into a zombie. I think I can talk it out with her." Toby replied.

Deacon leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his face. "Man, I trust you with my life. If you say that this is the way to go then I will go with your suggestion."

"I wouldn't steer you wrong." Toby assured him.

"So, where do we go from here?" Deacon asked.

"I'd like to sit down and talk with Daphne. I can do it right now. I want you to have her come in here. You can get Rayna on the phone and I'll talk to you all together. Then I will have you leave the room and I will get to work with her." Toby told him.

"Before we go into full-blown Daphne mode I gotta ask. Was Ray goin' off alone a good idea?" Deacon took a deep breath.

"It's something that she needed to do. If she would have bolted in the middle of the night without a word I would say be worried about her. The fact that she told you that she needed time to get her head on straight and work on being able to get back into the office means that she's further in her recovery than I thought she was. That is one strong woman and that is both a blessing and a curse." Toby tried to calm his fears.

"I know she's so strong she doesn't know how to be weak. She thinks that the world will fall apart if she isn't in control. That's partially my fault. She couldn't count on me for a lotta years." Deacon admitted.

"That right there is how I know your wife and your daughter are both going to be ok. You can say things like that." Toby offered him a smile.

"Let me get Ray on the phone before I call Daphne in here." Deacon took out his phone and Facetimed his wife.

"Hey, handsome, what's up?" Rayna smiled at him.

"I'm sittin' here with Toby and he's gettin' ready to talk to Daphne. He wanted to talk to her with both of us first." Deacon explained.

"You better get her in here then." Rayna told him.

Deacon sat his phone down on the arm of the chair and walked to the door. "Hey, Daphne! Come in here for a minute please."

Daphne came down a moment later. "What is it, dad?"

"Come on in here and have a seat there is somethin' that I want to talk to you about." Deacon led her in and sat her in a chair across from Toby.

"What's going on?" Daphne looked confused.

"Sweetheart, your momma and I did some talkin' and we thought that it would be best if you talked to someone to help you with the stuff that you're feelin'." Deacon explained to her.

"Deacon, hold up the phone so she can see me." Rayna told him.

Deacon handed the phone to Daphne.

"Sweet girl, I want you to know that first and foremost that Deacon and I love you more than anythin' in this world. You're havin' more than a little bit of trouble right now with the things that have happened and we wanted you to get some help before it becomes a real problem." Rayna spoke to her gently.

"I don't think I need to talk to anyone." Daphne argued.

"Daphne, yes you do. There is no shame in that. I have talked to someone and so has your momma. We've both talked to the same person that we want you to talk to." Deacon reached over and took her hand.

"Toby is very good at his job and it won't be bad at all. He's not like your typical shrink. Not only that he will protect your secrets, because he's Uncle Bucky's brother." Rayna chimed in.

"Daphne, if it helps don't think of me as shrink. Think of me as a journal or in your case a songbook. Something that you can put all your feelings in." Toby spoke up for the first time since the teen had entered the room.

"Really? You think you can help make all these feelings go away?" Daphne asked.

"I can help you find the tools that you need to deal with them." Toby replied gently.

"I think I'd like that." Daphne nodded her head.

"If that's the case I'm gonna ask your mom and dad to leave the room now, so we can get started." Toby smiled at her.

Daphne took a deep breath and nodded again. "Ok,"

Deacon took his phone from Daphne and stepped outside.

"Deacon, we are doing the right thing don't look like you lost your last friend." Rayna tried to cheer him up.

"I just hate that she's havin' to go through this." Deacon sighed.

"I hate it too, baby. This shouldn't be somethin' that our thirteen-year-old has to deal with." Rayna agreed with him.

"So, I was thinkin' if it won't cramp your style that I could bring Daphne out to see you this weekend. Maybe it will give her some peace of mind." Deacon suggested. He didn't want to put any pressure on her.

"That sounds like the best idea ever. Come on Friday and fly home on Monday. Maddie is welcome to come too, of course, but somethin' tells me that she is gonna welcome the freedom of gettin' to be alone." Rayna joked.

"I think you've got that 'bout right." Deacon chuckled.

"Babe, I'm kinda in the middle of somethin'. Is it ok if we talk later?" Rayna asked him.

"Sure, we can talk later. I want you to take care of yourself and make the progress you need without us gettin' in your way." Deacon replied.

"You three are the loves of my life you could never be in my way." Rayna blew him a kiss. "Love you,"

Deacon blew her a kiss back. "Love you too. Talk to you later." He hung up.

Daphne fidgeted around and looked at Toby awkwardly. She wasn't quite sure what she should do or say.

"Daphne, like I said think of me as a friend who will keep all your secrets. Tell me what's going on with you. Your parents are worried about you." Toby replied.

"Since my mom had her accident I am scared and worried all the time. There are some nights that I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Because, I've dreamed that mom didn't pull through and she died in that hospital room." Daphne told him.

"Guess what? That's completely normal. Adults who've been through what you've just been through would react the same way." Toby gave her a reassuring smile.

"The nightmares aren't as bad when mom is home or when she was in the rehab center, but when she's not here they are horrible. I jump every time the phone rings, because I'm afraid that something bad happened again." Daphne opened up to him.

"That's separation anxiety. From what I understand your father went away about a year before your mom's accident." Toby carefully avoided using the word prison. Now that he had her talking he didn't want to say something to make her go back into her shell.

"He did. I feel like the odd one out sometimes. Mom and Deacon have been in love forever and he is Maddie's real dad. I'm not so sure where I fit in the mix sometimes. Without mom here it's worse. The only person I'm related to is Maddie and she's not here that often." Daphne took a deep breath.

"The good news is I have a bunch of tools to help you deal with that." Toby informed her.

"Really?" Daphne asked hopefully. It would be nice to feel like a normal person again.

"Really, I wouldn't have spent all this time building up your trust if I were just going to let you down." He joked lightly.

"You're really good at your job aren't you?" She observed.

"I'm insanely good at my job." Toby winked at her.

* * *

Tandy walked into her condo and kicked her heels off. She took a look around and saw the disaster area her living room had become. "Uh, babe, you here?" She called out to her sister.

Rayna came out of the guest room fresh from a nap. "Hey, how was work?"

"Work was fine. I'm just really tying up some loose ends to get them ready for my departure." Tandy replied. "So, about all the paper balls?"

"I'm going to clean those up. I was writin'. It doesn't work as well without my husband, but I have some clarity now. I'm still not up to snuff. I tire out easily and when those pain pills kick in on me I'm out like a light." Rayna told her.

"You don't have to worry about that. You're just taking those pain pills as directed right?" Tandy arched her eyebrow.

"Tandy, I had an injury to my pelvis. It takes almost full year to heal. I have to take the pills until the pain doesn't come as frequently. I promise you that I'm not an addict though." Rayna reassured her.

"I don't want to seem like I'm telling you what to do, but maybe you wouldn't hurt as badly if you didn't sit around here all day. Get out of the house, go explore the city, put on a hat and sunglasses and behave like a tourist. That's what you told me you wanted to do. If you move around you won't get as stiff." Tandy gave her a quick hug.

"I know, but I wanted to write while things were still fresh in my mind. I plan on gettin' out of here this weekend. I think Deacon is gonna bring the girls or at least Daphne out here and I'm gonna book us a hotel room, so we aren't in your way." Rayna hugged her back.

"No, don't do that. Deacon and I just lived together for months. I don't mind him being in my place. And I would like to spend some more time with my nieces." Tandy argued.

"Are you sure?" Rayna asked her.

"I wouldn't have said you could do it if I weren't sure." Tandy smiled at her.

"You're bein' so great. I really appreciate all this." Rayna smiled back gratefully.

"I'm your big sister this is my job. You do not have to thank me. I promised mom on the day of her funeral that I would always take care of you. We are grown women now, but I still plan on keeping that promise." Tandy replied.

"Ok, ok, you win." Rayna laughed slightly.

"So, how is your song writing coming?" Tandy asked her.

"It's comin'," Rayna frowned. "I know what I want to say, but I can't get it to come out right. It will eventually. Right now, it's just an abstract idea." Rayna tried to explain her craft the best way she could.

"I heard something from Deacon while I was working at Highway Sixty-five. He said three chords and the truth was how to write a song. Now, I know you don't have your guitar player, but you do have a piano here. That might make it a bit easier on you." Tandy offered.

"Yeah, I think I'll give that try." Rayna accepted the offer.

"You go do that. Don't worry about cleaning up the mess. I've got it. Let me know when you're ready to eat and I will order dinner." Tandy replied. She was used to cleaning up after her sister.

"You better check on me when you're ready to eat. If I go over to that piano I'm gonna lose track of time." Rayna advised her.

"Alright, I'll be in, in a little while." Tandy agreed.

An hour and a half later Rayna was sitting at the piano with a notebook full of lyrics. She had a pen in her hair and one between her teeth. She was in full-blown creative mode.

"As much as I hate to interrupt what you've got going on in here you told me to check on you when it was time for dinner." Tandy walked into the room.

Rayna looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I need to eat."

"How many of your pain pills have you taken today?" Tandy asked.

"Why does it matter?" Rayna asked.

"I don't wanna give you a glass of wine and have you black out on me. Deacon would not be happy if I let something happen to you." Tandy answered her.

"I've taken four of the weak ones and that was way earlier." Rayna told her.

"You black out and I will kick your ass." Tandy sat a glass of wine down in front of her.

Rayna picked her wine glass up and took a sip. "Tandy, I'm fine. I needed this."

"How is Daphne doing? You had mentioned the other day that she's struggling." Tandy inquired about her niece.

"She had her first session with Toby today. From what he told Deacon things went really well. I feel horrible for not being there, but I'm not good to her if I'm a mess too. I owe her some stability after everything she's been through. I think with the whole fallout from the Maddie situation she suffered the most and I didn't notice it. I was too busy focusing on Maddie. I hurt the last three people in the world I would ever want to hurt. If I could take it back I would. I still struggle with the decision I made more than I realized." Rayna replied.

"You're a good mother, Rayna. You did what you thought was best for Maddie. You had no way of knowing that she would find out the way she did." Tandy tried to make her feel better.

"Tandy, I was kidding myself thinking she would never find out. The things that happened after wouldn't have happened if they'd heard it from me." Rayna sighed.

"You can't change the past. No matter how badly you'd like to, that's not in your skill set." Tandy tried to cheer her up.

"I know that too. I'm working on letting go of control in every situation. It's only going to make me crazier than I already am." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

"Good then you won't mind that I ordered dinner for you." Tandy put her hand on her shoulder.

"I don't mind letting go of control there." Rayna smiled faintly.

* * *

"Alright, now just a few more steps." Deacon guided Daphne up to the door of Tandy's condo.

"Dad, when are you going to tell me where we are?" Daphne whined. She was blindfolded.

"Trust me, Daph, you're gonna like this surprise." Maddie told her sister. She was in on this little surprise. She wasn't going to come, but then she decided that she should. She still felt horrible for not staying in the hospital with her mother. She shuddered to think about how much worse she would have felt had Rayna not pulled through.

Deacon wrapped on the door with his knuckles lightly. He smiled when Rayna answered the door and he held his finger up to his lips in a sign for her to be quiet. "I'm gonna take this blindfold off now." He untied the handkerchief from around her eyes.

Daphne smiled widely when she saw Rayna. "Mom," She hugged her tight.

"Hi, my baby girls," Rayna pulled both the girls into her arms.

Daphne turned around and launched herself into Deacon's arms. "This is why you wouldn't tell me where we were going. Thank you so much, you are the best dad ever."

"I love my three girls so much, Daphne. I would do anythin' for any of y'all." Deacon kissed the top of her head tenderly.

"Y'all get in here. I'm sure you're tired." Rayna waved them into the condo.

"Hey, girls, hey, Deacon," Tandy was getting ready to walk out the door.

"Tandy, thanks for lettin' us stay here. You didn't have to do that and I appreciate it." Deacon put his hands in his back pockets.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to make my sister and nieces stay in some hotel. And I'm not going to make you do it either. I like to think that you and I have arrived at some sort of truce over the last months. When I get home from work later I'm going to want a report from you about what the boy wonder is up to without me there to keep an eye on him." Tandy went into business mode.

"He hasn't done anythin' too horrible lately. He wants to bring someone different in and work on brand partnerships or somethin' crazy like that. I'm still fightin' him on that. We will see how it turns out. If nothin' else I'll get Ray to call him and tell him that that ain't gonna fly." Deacon replied.

"That little twerp has to get the hell outta my sister's company. I've been in touch with Bucky. I'm sure between the four of us we can come up with something." Tandy told him.

"You're always in touch with Bucky." Deacon snorted.

Tandy arched her eyebrow, but she ignored that comment. "Girls, come give me hugs. I will see you when I get home later. I know you want to spend some time with your mom, but I'm claiming aunt time while you're here. We will send those two off on a date or something."

The two girls hugged their aunt before she walked out the door.

"Come on, y'all I'm sure you're tired. Let's get some rest we have a big day ahead of us." Rayna put an arm around each of her daughter's.

"Want me to take the couch?" Deacon asked.

"Would you mind just for right now? I think these girls need me." Rayna stole a quick kiss from him.

"Sure, babe, whatever you need." Deacon kissed her again. He couldn't refuse her anything she asked for and they both knew it.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 16

"I can't believe that I've allowed myself to be roped into this." Maddie looked at her parents, aunt, and sister and shook her head.

"Neither can I." Tandy rolled her eyes.

"You better believe it. This is not the first time that Deacon has roped someone in to watching westerns with him. This is just the first time I've watched a tv show that's a western with him for six hours." Rayna laughed.

"Daphne, tell those three that if they want to complain we won't invite them to watch Longmire with us anymore." Deacon winked at Daphne.

"They would complain about anything." Daphne agreed with him.

Rayna picked up the remote and passed the show. "Ok, I think I need it explained to me how this happened."

"When you went into rehab I was sittin' up on the couch at the end of the bed watchin' this. Daphne came in and took over your side of the bed and started askin' me a ton of questions. To save time we just started the whole series over." Deacon told her.

"It's actually really good. I had my doubts at first too." Daphne backed him up.

"I can't believe I left you alone with him. This man has corrupted you." Rayna teased.

"He's not so bad. You're the one who encouraged me to lean on him." Daphne shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't you start havin' a mouth on you too. I already have to deal with that from your sister." Rayna gave an exaggerated eye roll.

"Don't you pick on her she's the only good one we've got and I think that's because she ain't got my DNA." Deacon joked.

"Hey, be nice. I'm sitting right here." Maddie grumbled.

"You know that I'm just playin' with ya. You need to lighten up a little bit. You should be on top of the world right now. You're gettin' everythin' you ever wanted and then some." Deacon smirked at her.

"Mom, your husband is absolutely insane." Maddie spoke to her mother.

"I know he's crazy. He's crazy about all of us." Rayna retorted.

"Maddie, there's no use in trying. You can't get either of them to say a bad word about the other unless they're fighting and then they don't really mean it." Tandy informed her.

"Are you guys gonna be quiet now, so me and Deacon can watch our show?" Daphne whined.

"Yeah, we will." Rayna started the show again.

* * *

"Come on, y'all! Let's get movin' I'm starvin'." Deacon clapped his hands. It was like pulling teeth trying to get all his girls out the door on time.

"Deacon, when are you gonna learn that, mom, Maddie, and Aunt Tandy are always late?" Daphne asked him.

"You'd think that I'd know that by now, but sadly I don't." Deacon chuckled.

"Dad, you really shouldn't talk bad about us like that." Maddie walked into the room where they were waiting.

"I have earned the right to talk 'bout y'all any way that I see fit." Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"You wanna adjust your attitude?" Rayna came in and glared at him.

"No, ma'am, I do not. I didn't say a damn thing that wasn't true." Deacon winked at her.

"How do you figure that?" Rayna gave him a flirty smile.

"I figure that 'cause you've been makin' me late since the day I laid eyes on ya." Deacon flirted back with her.

"And you love it or you would have ditched me every time you had a chance to." Rayna countered.

"I never said I don't love everythin' 'bout ya. I just said your inability to be on time vexes me." Deacon pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips.

'They really have no clue how gross they are." Maddie grumbled.

"Leave them alone, Maddie. They waited a long time to be together." Daphne scolded her sister lightly.

"Look who turned into a daddy's girl." Maddie teased her.

"Dad, can we sell Maddie to the first buyer?" Daphne wrapped her arms around Deacon.

"We sure can." Deacon hugged her back.

"Dad?" Rayna broke out into a face splitting grin.

"Is that not ok?" Daphne aske.

"That is absolutely ok. That's exactly how I want you to feel 'bout him. Teddy loved Maddie and took care of her when Deacon wasn't able to. Now he is returning the favor. He loves you just as much as Teddy loves you girls." Rayna hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"Mom, do we have to get sappy every time we're together?" Maddie sighed.

"Maddie, I just love you three so much. So, yeah, I do have to be this sappy." Rayna teased her.

"She's our payback for everythin' we put your daddy through when we were teenagers." Deacon laughed.

"Shh, you're not supposed to let the teenager know that we weren't angels." Rayna bumped her hip against his.

"You better be sweet to me, woman." Deacon put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"I am always sweet to you, man." Rayna wrapped her arms around him.

"This is a familiar sight. He bitches about everyone else not being ready to go and then I catch these two wrapped up in each other." Tandy shook her head.

"Why do we love these people so much? They ain't nothin', but mean to us." Rayna looked up at Deacon.

"I have no idea, darlin'." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Deacon sat at a table in a coffee shop relaxing. He already talked to Rayna for the morning after getting the girls out the door. He still needed a minute to decompress before he went to the office and had to deal with Zach. This was the hour a day he took for himself.

"Deacon, hey, I didn't expect to see you here." A voice called out to him.

Deacon looked up from his phone and smiled. "Well, hey, Jessie," he nodded his head in greeting.

Jessie sat down across from him and signaled to the barista to bring her a coffee. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I am takin' Deacon time." He laughed. "You come here often?"

"A little bit too much. That must be nice. How is Rayna doing?" She asked.

They all knew each other because Jessie was coming up in the music scene after Rayna and Deacon had made it big.

"She's doin' much better. She's in San Francisco with her sister right now. Deacon time isn't fun it's for the good of the people 'round me." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"I really was sorry to hear about all the trouble you went through." Jessie told him.

"It was hell there for awhile, but we are comin' out the other side now." Deacon replied.

"I can't imagine it was pleasant." Jessie didn't know what else to say to him.

"There was the stuff with the stalker beforehand and then the accident. You don't wanna hear 'bout all that though." Deacon laughed to cover his emotions.

"If you wanna talk about it you can." Jessie told him.

Deacon started talking and got on a roll. "Every time I think 'bout how close I came to losin' her it gives me chills." He wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry 'bout that. I think I'm over it, but the tears still come sometimes."

"Like you said you went through hell and there is no appropriate response for that." Jessie reached across the table and patted his hand.

"I've been so busy bein' strong for Rayna and the girls that I guess I haven't taken the time to let myself feel anythin'." Deacon took a deep breath.

"Rayna and your girls are really lucky to have you. I wish I'd picked that well when it came to men." Jessie retorted.

"He was that bad?" Deacon arched his eyebrow.

"You don't wanna hear this, do you?" Jessie asked him.

"You just listened to all my shit. Lay it on me." Deacon made a give it to me gesture with his hands.

"The rumors that you probably heard about me are true. The mistake I made wasn't cheating on my husband. The mistake I made was marrying him to begin with." Jessie replied.

"I made a few mistakes in my day too. I'm in no position to judge anyone." Deacon chuckled.

The barista brought over another coffee refill for them.

Deacon looked at his phone. "Wow, the time really flew there. I shoulda been at the office an hour ago."

"If you have to go I completely understand." Jessie said.

"Yeah, I need to get into the office. I have an asshole to deal with." Deacon rolled his eyes.

"Good luck with that. I will be pulling for you." Jessie laughed.

"If I make it through the day without imagin' killin' him I consider it a win. He's a little douche bag." Deacon sighed.

"Well, I gave you my number in case you need help hiding the body." Jessie offered.

"I will keep that in mind." Deacon actually laughed.

"Thanks for the offer. I think it'd be nice to talk to someone other than my girls. I don't want the three of 'em to worry 'bout me. They have enough on their plates as it is." Deacon smiled at her.

"You really are a good man, Deacon." Jessie told him.

"I'm tryin' my best, anyway." Deacon replied. "So, The Exes are playin' tonight if you wanna come with me. It would be nice to have some company."

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll meet you there." Jessie smiled at him.

"Ok, I'll see you then. Also, send your demo my way. I'm sure that Ray would love to hear it." Deacon retorted.

"I will do that." Jessie agreed.

* * *

Rayna threw the pencil she was using across the room and sighed in frustration. She was sitting at Tandy's piano trying to work on her new music, but it wasn't working for her. "Ok, I need to get out of here for the day." She took her extra pencil out of her hair and went to go the guest room to change.

When she left the apartment she just started walking aimlessly. She ended up in a little record store.

"Rayna, Jaymes, fancy runnin' into you here." Luke walked up behind her.

"Well, hey, Luke," Rayna plastered her stage smile on her face.

"I didn't know that you were in town." Luke replied.

Rayna slipped her hands into her back pockets. "I'm stayin' with my sister for now."

"I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it." Luke cleared his throat. "I was real sorry to hear 'bout all the problems that you had."

"Thanks, Luke, it's real nice of you to say that." Rayna brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"I woulda called you after it happened, but I had no idea what to say." Luke admitted.

"It' ok, I don't know that I woulda taken your call." Rayna replied honestly. "What are you doin' in town, anyway?" She tried to change the subject.

"I have a show tonight. I have some down time before then and I thought that I'd take in the local sites." Luke was glad for the change of subject.

"I know that's always nice. These big shows in these cities like this can take a lot out of ya." Rayna nodded her head.

"If you have a minute I'd love to catch up over coffee or somethin'." Luke offered.

"Yeah, I have a free minute. I ain't doin' anythin' right now, but killin' time." Rayna gave him a real smile.

"Since you've been hangin' 'round here for a while I'm hopin' that you will know a good place to go." Luke replied.

"I know a great place. Follow me." Rayna led him down the street to a little café that she had come to like.

"This place is nice." Luke looked around impressed.

"It is. The best part of it is that I don't really have to worry 'bout bein' bothered by fans. I can just chill out and collect myself." Rayna grabbed a table for them.

"That sounds nice." Luke sat down across from her.

"It is. I love what I do it's all I've ever wanted, but sometimes it's nice to just be a normal person." Rayna replied. She signaled for the waiter to bring two coffees.

"I know that feelin' very well. All I wanna do is make music. The rest of it just came on me like a freight train." Luke admitted. The stage persona he had to keep up for his fans got to be a little daunting at times.

"That's all I really wanna do too. If I could get away with that without all the stuff that goes with it I'd be happy. I guess I'm a little gun shy since this whole stalker thing. I've always been protective of my personal life because when I was first startin' out Deacon was having all those problems with bein' a drunk and I wanted to protect him. And then it was because I had to keep everyone from findin' out that Maddie is his daughter. Now, I just want the privacy, so no one comes after me." Rayna opened up to him. It was easier to talk to him about this than it was Deacon. It wasn't because she didn't trust her husband, it was because he had enough on his plate without her adding to it.

"I really can't imagine what you've just gone through. I've had crazy fans before, but never to that degree. I can tell you this, though, nothin' you did or didn't do caused that freak to come after you. He obviously has issues, Rayna. There's was nothin' you could have done to prevent that. He is obsessed with you. From what I gathered from the news he felt like you were the only person in the world that truly understands him." Luke gave her the best pep talk that he could.

Rayna waited for their coffees to be sat down in front of them before she spoke. "On some level I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier." She wrapped her hand around her coffee mug and shrugged her shoulders.

"I think that you need to get outta your own head for a little while. I would really like it if you'd come to the show tonight. No one would have to know that you're there. I could sneak you backstage. You could stay in my dressin' room if you wanted to. I think it would be good for you." Luke offered.

"I don't know, Luke." Rayna sounded unsure.

"You ain't even gotta stay for the whole thing. Just stay long enough to say that you went." Luke tried to coax her into going.

"Ok, I'll go if you promise to stop pestering me." Rayna finally agreed. She didn't see what it could hurt. She was going to have to get back in the saddle sooner or later anyway.

* * *

A/N:Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry for the long wait, but my dad passed away about a month ago and I haven't been in much of a mood to write. Regarding Jessie she's not here in anyway to be any type of romantic interest for Deacon. I have another plan for her and I think that you guys will like it. I couldn't resist putting my spin on her character. Until next time please review.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N:Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 17

Deacon stood in the back of a café with his eyes glued on his wife. He'd decided to surprise her by just showing up, because he missed her something terrible. He ended up getting a surprise of his own. When he'd gone to Tandy's condo looking for his wife her sister had directed him to this café.

Rayna sat up on a makeshift stage was a guitar on her lap. She was a doing a stripped down very of her songs with just the guitar and her voice. She studied her hands to make sure that she didn't make any wrong moves. She could play the guitar, she just wasn't very good at it. She'd never had to be that's what she had Deacon for.

Deacon beamed with pride from the back of the room. He didn't want her to know that he was there yet. As much as he missed her, he could see that being in San Francisco had been good for her. When she was back in Nashville after the accident she hadn't even mentioned performing again and now she was doing it. He was sure that Toby probably had a hand in this, but he didn't care. He seemed to slowly be getting his wife back after all the hell she'd been through.

Rayna finished her set to the applause of the entire café. "Thank y'all for lettin' me do that for you. I know that I'm not the best with a guitar, but I don't have to be that's what I have my husband for. It just feels good to get out and perform again." She got off the stage after she spoke.

"I think bein' 'round me all these years has finally rubbed off on you." Deacon finally made his presence known.

"How long have you been here, babe?" Rayna almost dropped her guitar she was so surprised to see him.

"I've been here long enough to see that the accident hasn't affected your ability as one hell of a performer at all." Deacon helped her by taking the guitar off her hands and putting it in the case.

"Did we talk about you coming into town and I forgot?" Rayna stole a kiss from him.

"No, I just wanted to surprise you and see how you were doin'. I know that you gave Toby permission to give me progress reports, but I still wanted to see for myself that you're ok. I almost lost ya, you're just gonna have to get used to me wantin' to be protective." Deacon grinned against her lips.

"I have no problem with that. I like it when you're my surprise for the day. You're always a good surprise." Rayna slipped her hand into his free hand.

"I didn't realize that you were ready to start workin' again." Deacon broached the subject subtly. He didn't want to be too forceful about it and spook her.

"I'm not really. Toby and I both agreed that it was time for me to start tryin' to get back to it though. That I needed to try to dip my toe back in. it's not that I'm afraid to get up on stage and perform. That's just like breathing for me. what I'm afraid of is the media attention. I don't want another situation like the one I just got out of." Rayna spoke freely with him.

Deacon smiled happily. "Well, I'd say Toby is doin' you a world of good. Just a couple weeks ago you wouldn't have been able to talk 'bout that with me."

"Don't ever tell him that I said this, because that man doesn't need anyone to feed his already massive ego, but he is very good at his job. I don't know if I'm more thankful for how great he's been with me or with Daphne. I can hear it in her voice when I talk to her on the phone that she's a lot happier and less scared than she was before all this happened." Rayna replied.

"Our little girl is doin' great. I think there may even be a little ol' boy sniffin' 'round. I ain't sure how I feel 'bout that yet. I just got used to the older one datin'. I guess it's somethin' that I should expect as a daddy to only daughters. I wasn't prepared for this at all. I just got here and they are already datin'. I needed more time to prepare myself for this." Deacon chuckled.

"It comes with the territory, babe." Rayna laughed at him.

"They are lucky I love 'em and would miss 'em if I sold 'em like they make me want to sometimes." Deacon sighed in both contentment and resignation. "If you're done here for the day, what do you say you show me around the city and we spend some time together?" He suggested.

"I'm free to go. The owner has been happy to work with me, because I bring in business." Rayna guided him out the door.

"You always could draw a crowd." Deacon retorted.

Rayna studied him for a moment on chewed on her lip nervously. "Babe, can I ask you somethin'?"

"You can ask me anythin' that your pretty little heart desires." Deacon assured her.

"I know that you love the girls, but you ever wish you could do it all from the start with your child?" Rayna sked. That had been weighing on her mind since Toby had brought it up with her.

Deacon knitted his brows together and took a deep breath. He didn't really know how to say what he had to say without making her feel guilty. "I'm try my best to answer that. I may not make a whole hell of a lotta sense, but I'll try. I love my girls. I love 'em so much, Ray, but there's this whole part of bein' a father that I missed out on. I'm a dad, but I ain't ever been anyone's daddy. And there is a difference between the two. There are a lotta times I wish I could do if from the start. Especially when I look 'round the house and see all those pictures of y'all when they were little and it reminds me of how much of their lives I missed out on. I mean I'm here now, but there was this whole part I didn't get. And like I said I love my girls, but there are times I wish I had a son."

Rayna nodded her head in understanding. "That's understandable, Deacon. I don't know a man alive who doesn't want a son. I know that part of Teddy was hoping that Daphne was a boy. It's all about carrying on your legacy and I do get that. as for the other part it's normal and again I can't apologize enough for takin' that part from you. I had the fun ages when they weren't all hormones and teenage angst."

"I don't want you to feel guilty, babe. I done it to myself. I don't want a son 'cause I think I'm missin' out on someone to carry on my name and my legacy. Though, I'd be lyin' if I said it didn't sting a little that my daughter has never had my last name and she uses yours as her stage name. I sometimes wish I had a boy 'cause that way I could have the father son relationship that I never had with my father." Deacon explained himself better.

"I was wondering how long you were going to hold that in." Rayna teased him a little. This was nice that they were finally able to talk about this without either of them getting mad and turning it into a fight.

They walked back to Tandy's condo and put her guitar away.

"Hey, babe," Rayna leaned up against the kitchen counter.

"Yeah?" Deacon's eyebrows rose in a question mark.

"Would you maybe like to have a baby with me?" Rayna threw caution to the wind. She was done holding things inside.

"Ray, I don't know. I don't want this to be somethin' that you do 'cause you feel guilty or 'cause you're still all shaken up. I'm not opposed to it, but only if you're really sure that this is what you want." Deacon replied.

"It's a thought that we don't have to act on right this minute. We can think about it a little while longer, but I don't need the extra time to think. I'm in if you are. Hell, I think this is something I want more than I'm willing to admit to myself." Rayna told him.

"Ok, well, I will think 'bout it. You've told me the whole times you've known me that I'm impulsive and I'm afraid that my first instinct may be a little crazy." Deacon kissed the top of her head. he didn't know until he heard the words leave her mouth how much he'd wanted to hear her say that she wanted another baby with him.

"I've heard you say yes to me without sayin' the words before and I know what it sounds like. I'm gonna take that as a yes until you tell me no." Rayna smirked at him.

Deacon wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let me think on it, woman. Now that you mention it, though, I didn't fly all this way just to talk to you. I may or may not have come to do somethin' with ya that leads to babies bein' made."

"Whether you need time to think or not it couldn't hurt us to practice." Rayna kissed him deeply.

* * *

"Y'all I really need your help to get this house clean. If your momma comes home to this she will kill all three of us." Deacon had sweat dripping off his brow. He was trying to get his daughters to help him clean the house before Rayna's plane got in.

"Dad, I still don't understand why you didn't just call the maid and have her do it." Maddie rolled her eyes at her father.

"Because, the maid ain't here to clean up the messes we are too lazy to deal with. We keep her 'round to clean the house when we don't have time to." Deacon reminded her.

"You sounded so much like mom when you said that." Daphne laughed at him.

"That's because as usual your mother is right." Deacon teased her.

"It's no use. Y'all ain't gonna get your daddy to turn against your momma." Scarlett came into the room from the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be restin'?" Deacon asked her. He was concerned for his niece and her unborn baby.

"I'm pregnant not cripple. I'm fine to help y'all clean up the mess you've made of this house." Scarlett assured him.

"How was I to know that?" I don't have that much experience 'round pregnant women." Deacon retorted. He'd given the subject a lot of thought since Rayna had broached the subject with him.

"Hey, dad," Daphne piped up gain.

"What do you need, sweet girl?" Deacon turned his attention to her.

"Do you think that mom is gonna stay home for good this time?" Daphne asked.

"I don't know, Daph, she may. I mean I know that your Aunt Tandy is movin' back. Your momma is comin' home to testify, but I don't see a reason that she won't come home with us for good." Deacon answered her to the best of his ability.

"You don't think that they will let him out again, do you?" Maddie asked.

"I don't know. I don't have all the answers. If I did I'd be a much richer man than I am. The only thing I know for sure is that all of us are gonna be ok, 'cause we have each other to help get through this mess. I think it's highly unlikely that they will let him out, though." Deacon reassured her. He pulled both his girls to him and kissed their heads. For as much as he felt like he was in over his head sometimes, he always seemed to know just the thing to say to calm them down.

"Uncle Deacon, how about we take a little break and get something to eat?" Scarlett suggested.

"I think that's the best idea I've heard in a while." Deacon agreed with her.

"Well, if y'all ain't just 'bout the sorriest sight I've ever seen I don't know what is." Rayna walked in on them a little while later.

"Ray, what are you doin' here? Your plane wasn't supposed to get in 'til later?" Deacon jumped up to greet his wife.

"I took an earlier flight to surprise you. I didn't know that I would walk in on y'all lookin' so dirty and pathetic." Rayna joked.

"We just cleaned this house from top to bottom for you." Deacon pecked her lips over and over.

Maddie and Daphne rushed to their mother and hugged her tightly.

"Hi, my girls, I sure did miss you more than you missed me and that's sayin' somethin'. From the looks of it you two missed me a whole lot." Rayna kissed them both on the top of the head.

"They missed you more than you'll ever get either one of them to say. I was a teenage girl once I know what that's like." Scarlett chimed in.

"Look at you, girl. Bein' pregnant looks good on you." Rayna went over and hugged her. "Thank you for takin' care of the three loves of my life. I know that they wouldn't have made it without you."

"They are my family too, you don't have to thank me." Scarlett hugged her back.

"I know that I came home and disrupted everyone's plans, so if you'll tell me what's on the agenda for tonight then I'll go along with it." Rayna tried to sound casual and at ease.

"I am playin' the Bluebird tonight. I couldn't get out of it and truthfully I really needed it after the week I had. Let's just say this is the only thing that has kept me from killin' Zach and leave it at that." Deacon told her.

"Ok, that sounds like somethin' I can handle." Rayna smiled at him.

"You don't' have to go unless you're ready to. I don't want to force you into anythin' that you ain't ready for." Deacon kissed her cheek.

"I will be fine. I have to get back on the horse sooner or later." Rayna smiled at him reassuringly. "Now, do you wanna tell me why it took all of you to clean the house?"

"We may have two daughters, but we may as well have two sons for all the messes they make." Deacon didn't hesitate to throw his girls under the bus.

* * *

" _Imagine her standin' there young again long brown hair as he crosses over to the other side. She smiles as he runs to her with arms open wide. She was his reason for livin' she was his rock and his best friend. They'll be reunited in heaven. 'Cause he's dyin' to see her again." Deacon opened up his set that night with a song he'd written about Rayna while he was waiting to see if she was going to live or die._

" _He went downhill once she was gone. He lost the will to carry on. They couldn't find nothin' wrong no matter what they did. But I know that answer's in the picture frame that's sittin' by his bed. She was his reason for livin' she was his rock and his best friend. They'll be reunited in heaven 'cause he's dyin' to see her again."_

" _As the doctors come runnin' I overhear a nurse say we're losin' him. We've been losin' him since he lost her. She was his reason for livin' she was his rock and his best friend. They'll be reunited in heaven 'cause he's dyin' to see her again."_ He had to clear his throat and blink the tears back once he had finished that song. It was something that he'd needed to get down and off his chest if not he'd never be able to get on with his life.

"I have a big surprise for y'all tonight. You all know that I have all kinda friends in this town and tonight I have one of 'em here to do a number for you. Please help me give a big welcome home to my wife and best friend, Rayna Jaymes." Deacon cheered.

Rayna walked up and sat on a stool next to him. "Well, he gives one hell of an introduction. It's so good to finally be back here where we started out. I have a new son for y'all tonight and I hope you like it. I'll even be kind and have Deacon play guitar for me."

Deacon started picking out a tune on the guitar.

" _You drink my whiskey without askin'. You put your boots up on my couch. It drives me crazy to remind you more than once to take the garbage out. You use my good towels to on the dog. That's the only thing I've asked you not to do. Most days I'd love to lock you out. I can't live without you."_ Rayna sang softly.

Deacon fought to keep a smile off his face as he played.

" _The kitchen table ain't for business. I wish you'd put the bills where they go. I guess you need an invitation to the backyard to see that it needs mowin'. You leave your whiskers in the sink and I've told you 'til I'm black and blue. You never worry what the neighbors think. I can't live without you."_ Rayna too fought off a smile. She'd made all these complaints when they were younger.

"' _Cause you've got my back even when I'm wrong. You're the only one who knows me and my heart can't get along. I got reasons to cry and can't tell you which one. But, you don't ask no questions you just hold me 'til I'm done. And when I'm lookin' for a fight you flat refuse. I can't live without you."_ She looked over at her husband with nothing, but love in her eyes.

" _You're always voicin' your opinion you play your guitar way too loud. And God I reckon it would kill you to lift a finger and help me clean this house. You know your jokes ain't all that funny, but I'll keep on laughin' if you want me to. Nobody understands why I love you. I can't live without you."_

Deacon locked his eyes with hers.

" _You've got my back even when I'm wrong. You're the only one who knows me and my heart can't get along. I've got some reasons to cry and I can't tell you which one. But, you don't ask no questions and hold me 'til I'm done. And when I'm lookin' for a fight you flat refuse. I can't live without you. I can't live without you."_ Rayna stared back into his eyes as she finished the song.

"Well, hell, Rayna, from the sounds of that you haven't been off the stage for months now." Luke came up to her later.

"Luke, I didn't know you were in town." Rayna smiled at him.

"I wasn't gonna be 'til I found out that you were here." Luke replied.

"I don't know what this is 'bout, but already I don't like it." Deacon took a sip of his tea.

Luke laughed and clapped him on the back. "You just say that 'cause you don't trust me 'round your wife."

"That's true," Deacon laughed with him.

"What can I do for you, Luke?" Rayna asked trying to get him to his point.

"Look, I got 'bout six weeks left on this tour and I was kinda hopin' I could get you to come out with me for that long." Luke rushed the words out of his mouth.

"Luke, I think that we both know I'm not gonna open for you. I can still fill a stadium. I paid my dues doin' that over twenty years ago." Rayna gave him a withering look.

"I didn't mean that I wanted you to open for me. I meant that I want you to co headline with me. it's just a small thing and I thought that you could handle it." Luke clarified.

Rayna looked at Deacon who was chewing on his bottom lip. "Let me sleep on it tonight and give you an answer in the morning." She bargained with him. She knew that she should say yes, but she didn't know if she was ready and she didn't know if her marriage could survive it.

"I can do that for ya. I'll be waitin' for your call." Luke left her side before she changed her mind and said no outright.

Deacon laid back on the bed with his hands behind his head deep in thought.

Rayna came out of the bathroom and crawled into bed next to her husband. "Do you wanna tell me what's on your mind or do I have to guess?"

"It's nothin', I'm just thinkin'." Deacon grunted.

Rayna laid her head on his chest. "I know what you're just thinkin' about. Doing this tour with Luke would bring money in to the label and we'd be able to get rid of Zach I know how much you hate working with him. It's only six weeks and I know you don't like Luke. But, it would be worth it to have my company back."

Deacon sighed and kissed the top of her head. "That would be great, but I'm not worried 'bout you bein' on the road with Luke. I know that you're mine and you're comin' home to me. I'm worried that it'll be too much too soon for ya and I don't want to set you back."

"Deacon, I will call Toby and talk to him, but I'm telling you I feel like I have to do this." Rayna told him firmly.

"Then you know that I'm behind you a hundred percent." Deacon relented. He knew that he wouldn't win this argument.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 18

Rayna sat across from Luke in the conference room of Highway 65. They were meeting to hash out the details of their tour together. Things would go smoother if they worked things out now. Both their managers were present to make sure that something productive got done and they didn't just get wrapped up in the music.

"The only way to do this to make this fair is if one you opens one night and the other opens the next night. That way it will truly be a co-headlined tour." Bucky consulted the legal pad in front of him.

"That works for me." Luke agreed.

"Not so fast." Jimmy, his manager spoke up.

"What do you have a problem with?" Rayna asked.

"How do we know that you won't take all the good shows for yourself?" Jimmy replied.

"That's why we said every other night. I spent a lot of time going over the schedule to make sure that they both get the treatment they deserve." Bucky snorted.

"Jimmy, I said that it's fine. Rayna is the last person in the world that's gonna try to screw us." Luke called his manager down.

"Alright," Jimmy held his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"I think that is the only major thing we have to cover that you two are going to care about. Other than that it's just the boring stuff you pay us to take care of." Bucky looked down at his list again.

"We should probably discuss a set list or somethin'. You know as well as I do that they are gonna expect us to do at least a couple songs together." Luke addressed Rayna.

"We won't be able to get out of this without doing Ball and Chain. We should just work that in right now." Rayna agreed with him.

"Do you think that's gonna be enough?" Luke asked her.

"We are gonna have a lot of time together out on the road I'm sure we can write a couple or would could buy somethin' from the publishing house while we're in town." Rayna replied.

"We could do both." Luke suggested.

"I have no problem with that. I think both of us could use the boost it would give us." Rayna nodded her head.

"And this is why we have to be present at these meetings." Jimmy observed.

"They only care about the music. They have us to deal with the rest." Bucky made some notes.

"Even better than buying songs I know what we can do. There someone who is pretty desperate to get rid of a thorn in his side right now and he would do whatever he could to help." Rayna sent Deacon a text to come in the room.

"I ain't gonna argue that." Luke replied. They were ignoring their managers. They were both more artists than business people anyway.

Deacon came into a the room a second later. "What can I do for you, Ray?"

"You can tell me you have songs ready to go that can be used as duets." Rayna informed him without any preliminaries.

"Who are you talkin' to?" Deacon smiled at her.

"I should have known better than to ask that question." She smiled back at him.

"How soon do you need somethin'?" Deacon asked.

"The sooner the better. We can't go out on this tour without at least three or four songs." Luke answered.

"I think I can pull a couple out of thin air that'll suit y'all just fine. Luke, just remember this is my duet partner. I'm only lettin' you borrow her for a little while." Deacon couldn't resist the urge to mark his territory a little bit.

"I'll make sure to give her back in the same condition I got her in." Luke retorted.

"Deacon, did you want me to step outta the room, so you two can barter over how many goats and chickens I'm worth?" Rayna arched her eyebrow at him.

Deacon looked up and saw Zach staring into the conference room. "No, but, I better go, 'fore he comes in here and gives you more to deal with than you already do."

"Be as civil as you can." Rayna sighed.

"Will do," Deacon stepped outside.

"I thought you said you trusted the guy." Luke said, but it was a question.

"I thought he could be trusted. He's more trouble than he's worth." Rayna clenched her jaw.

Luke just shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Deacon, what's going on in there? I think it's probably something I should be in on." Zach harassed the older man as soon as he walked out of the room.

"That's nothin' for you to worry 'bout. That's just Rayna and Luke workin' out the details of their joint tour." Deacon blocked him from going into the room.

"That's good. Maybe there is something I can help with." Zach tried to step around him.

Deacon put his hand on his shoulder and guided him in the other direction. "Trust me on this one. You don't want to be in that room right now. They know what they are doin'. Plus, there's a lot of artist stuff goin' on. You'll be of more use doin' somethin' else." He tried his best to be as nice as he could be.

* * *

"Deacon, if you don't want me to do this you have to tell. I'm not a mind reader. I just know that you don't look very happy about it." Rayna wiped down the kitchen counter.

"I ain't thrilled 'bout it, but I know we need this right now. I ain't happy 'bout gettin' left behind either. It used to be when we were together if you went out on tour I went with you. We just did this concept album that you wanted to do and we ain't done a damn thing to promote it." Deacon put the dishes in the dish washer.

Rayna walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek. "I know. This ain't fair to you at all and I do realize that. I don't want you to spend this marriage thinkin' that you're in my shadow. I already had one marriage fail for that reason. I also know that you've always made it your mission in life to make me shine. I want to promote our album I'm very proud of it. I just want to do it on our terms. I spent my entire career with people telling me how I had to make my music and I didn't want that anymore. I didn't think this whole Zach thing through and now I've risked everythin' that I've worked so hard to build. I would have found another way, but I had so many other things on my mind I wasn't able to properly focus on it."

"Of course, I want you to do whatever you need to, to get better and to get us away from Zach. We just haven't been together that much lately. You're my best friend, Ray. I miss ya like crazy. It's like we're together, but we ain't together. I can count on one hand the number of times we've made love since the accident. I don't want us to go back to the bad place." Deacon did his best to articulate his concerns without making her feel bad or guilty. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her.

"Honey, I promise that we aren't gonna go back to the bad place. If we were we would have already been fighting. This thing with Luke is just a means to an end. I would love for you to be out on tour with me, but you're the only one I trust with our girls right now. You better believe that I'm gonna get back up on that stage with you as soon as I can. I'm just sorry that you're not gonna be the first person I get on stage with after that accident. There's a light at the end of this tunnel and we just have to focus on that. Just because I haven't been comfortable enough to have sex doesn't mean you're still not the closest person in this world to me." Rayna rested her forehead against his.

Deacon pecked her lips softly. "Like I told Wheeler earlier it don't matter who you make music with you will always be my partner. I will be countin' down the days 'til I get to be back up on that stage with you."

"I can picture this big amazin' life we're gonna have together once all this bad stuff is behind us. We already have it pretty damn good and it's only gonna get better." Rayna threaded her arms around his waist.

"So, I was talkin' to Tandy earlier and I think we need to talk to the lawyer. We need to sue the security company. If they'd done their job properly then we wouldn't be in this position right now." Deacon brought up something that he'd been holding in for awhile.

"I don't wanna be that person, but I think you and my sister are right. I wouldn't have to dread going into that courtroom tomorrow if they'd just checked and made sure that no one else was in the building." Rayna agreed with him. "Also, it scares me when you and Tandy get along." She tried to lighten the mood a little bit.

"Someone besides Wayne needs to answer for this. I mean he's obviously sick in the head. We trusted them to protect us and they didn't do that." Deacon held to her tightly. He still got shaken up when he thought about just how badly things could have turned out. "It scares me when I agree with your sister too."

"What do you say we forget about all that for tonight and you take me upstairs? I think we should make it where you can count on two hands the number of times we've made love since my accident." Rayna tried to seduce him. It didn't really take much on her part. It never had. He was always hot and ready for her.

"I think that sounds like a damn good plan." Deacon ushered her up the stairs.

* * *

"Ms. Jaymes, would you mind walking us through what happened the day that Mr. Hockney attacked you?" Her lawyer asked her the next day when she was on the witness stand.

"I had gone into the office to get some work done. I'd only been at my desk a couple of minutes when Wayne came in with a knife drawn. I did my best to stay calm and talk him down. While I had him distracted and talking I managed to call nine-one-one. I don't think that he wanted to hurt me. He just wanted someone to talk to him and try to understand him." Rayna cast a glance over in Wayne's direction as she spoke. As terrified as she'd been in that moment, she knew that he hadn't been in his right mind to do something like that. He was very obviously a sick man who needed help rather than prison time.

"Can you tell me what happened after the police showed up?" Her lawyer asked.

"After the police showed up I was put into the back of a squad car that was supposed to take me home." Now she looked to Deacon, because she needed him to tell this part of her story.

Deacon nodded and smiled at her encouragingly.

"You didn't make it home did you? What happened instead?" Her lawyer asked.

"The police car I was in was t-boned by a truck and I was rushed to the hospital." Rayna licked her suddenly dry lips.

"What was the nature of your injuries?"

Rayna fidgeted around and took rapid breaths.

Toby was seated next to Deacon and he gestured for her to calm down.

"I suffered a variety of cuts and bruises. The most serious of my injuries was my broken pelvis." Rayna said after she took a calming breath.

"How long were you in the hospital?" The lawyer paused and rethought that question. "Let me rephrase that. How severe were your injuries?"

"I uh, I suffered a complication from my broken pelvis. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not really sure about the technical stuff, but apparently my bone marrow leaked into my blood stream and it almost killed me. I was in a coma for several days." Rayna answered.

"No further questions, Your Honor." Her lawyer sat down.

Wayne's lawyer stood up and fiddled with the buttons on his suit jacket. "Ms. Jaymes, let me start out by sayin' that I'm very sorry for you what you gone through." He put a disarming smile on his face.

"Thank you," Rayna replied dryly. She knew this man didn't care anything about her well being.

"With that out of the way. This isn't the first time that you've had an overzealous fan is it? It kinda comes with the territory of bein' in the public eye, doesn't it?" He questioned.

Rayna got a dumbfounded look on her face and her jaw dropped. Then her blood started to boil. "I'm sorry, but are you really tryin' to blame the victim right now? What you're doin' is pretty much the same as slut shaming that women go through when they say someone raped them. If I'm hearin' you correctly your defense of the equivalent of she was askin' for it."

"Your Honor, please instruct the witness to answer the question." He looked at the judge helplessly.

"The witness will answer the question." The judge ordered.

"No, it's not the first time I've had something like that happen to me. Most of the time though it's just harmless crackpots. I believe that Wayne is a mostly harmless crackpot who took things too far." Rayna crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's my girl." Deacon leaned over and whispered to Toby.

"She can handle herself that's for sure." Toby whispered back to him.

"Please instruct the jury to disregard the witness's last statement." The lawyer obviously hadn't counted on her being so fiery.

"The jury will disregard the witness's last statement." The judge looked at Rayna. "Ms. Jaymes, please try to keep your answers confined to the parameters of the questions."

"Your Honor, I'm just stating the impression that I got when the defendant was holdin' a knife on me. If his lawyer is gonna try to make this my fault then I'm gonna defend myself." Rayna clenched her jaw.

The judge hid a smile behind his hand with a sudden forced coughing fit.

"Rayna, you killed it up there on the stand today. I couldn't have asked for better from you. The judge was impressed even though he couldn't let you know he was." Her lawyer told her as they walked out of the courtroom for the day.

"I got pissed off in there today is what happened. That other lawyer basically said it was my fault he stalked me. I wasn't gonna put up with that bullshit. It woulda been worth it to me had the judge fined me." Rayna snorted.

"Rayna, you handled yourself well. You're allowed to have your feelings and no one can blame you for that. You needed to tell your story in your words and not under the confines of the court. I'm proud of you. I think you've made a lot of progress." Toby praised her.

"Thanks, Toby, I'm workin' my ass off to get back to normal." Rayna gave him a faint smile.

"Babe, I thought it was hot as hell. You damn sure put that bully in his place. You could tell that he wasn't used to anyone talkin' back to him like that." Deacon put his arm around her shoulders.

"Deacon, you think everythin' I do is hot. And I appreciate hearin' it. You just made me feel a hell of a lot better." Rayna smiled for real and leaned against him.

"Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me I'm takin' my wife for coffee. I think she could use it." Deacon pressed a kiss to her temple.

* * *

Deacon took Rayna to his usual coffee house and he sat at his usual table.

"Babe, I don't know how I get through this without you." Rayna took her coffee from him a blew on it.

"Well, you don't have to know, 'cause I ain't goin' nowhere. I'm gonna be right here by your side through all of it. The way I see it we've just 'bout got it made now." Deacon reached across the table and took her hand.

"I know and I love you for it." Rayna leaned over the table and kissed him.

"Well, Deacon, you're nothing if not a creature of habit." Jessie walked over to the table a few minutes later.

"It was like pulling teeth to get him to get a cell phone. The only reason he texts is our daughters wouldn't talk to him otherwise. His house over in East Nashville still has the same phone number it did when I lived there." Rayna spoke up.

"Ray, you remember Jessie don't ya?" Deacon asked.

"I remember Jessie. She was comin' up after we'd made it." Rayna confirmed.

"It's really good to see you again." Jessie offered her a smile.

"It's good to see you too. I owe you a thank you for keepin' my husband sane. That I means I owe you. If you're really serious about being an artist send me your demo and I'll take a listen to it." Rayna smiled back. She could tell by looking at the younger woman that she'd been beat down by the world. She could see exactly why Deacon had befriended her. He had the need to rescue damsels in distress, because he hadn't been able to save his mother from his father.

"You told her?" Jessie looked shocked. Most men wouldn't tell their wives that they had been confiding in women who were much younger than them.

"Of course, I did. I ain't got nothin' to hide. We are friends. The way to make a mountain outta a molehill is for me not to tell her. We trust each other implicitly." Deacon replied.

"I'm stuck with him for better or worse and I know that. Even when he was drinkin' heavily I knew that he would never cross the line and betray me like that. I ain't the kinda woman that's gonna be jealous for no reason. Besides that I've met your ex, you could use all the friends you can get." Rayna squeezed Deacon's hand.

"I woulda thought that a cheater like me is the last woman you would have wanted around your husband." Jessie said in surprise.

"I know Brad. He's a pig he drove you to it." Rayna cut her some slack. "Besides that, it's healthy for him to have someone to talk to who isn't me. If he can trust me to go out on tour with the man I almost married I can trust him to be friends with you. Just don't give me a reason to regret it." She couldn't help giving the younger woman a word to the wise.

* * *

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I have a plan to put a twist on the whole Jessie and Brad situation that let's Rayna show how much of a badass she is. I have to give her the props she deserves after the writers tried so hard to make her a victim when they killed her off. I promise if you trust me you'll like it. It's my way to fix a bunch of a the holes that were in the last season and a half of the show. Until next time please review.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 19

"Well, I'll say this much. I never thought I'd be so glad to see a tour bus in my life." Rayna stood on the parking lot where her bus was parked. She was getting everything ready to go out on tour with Luke.

"It looks good and it runs better. I just had the mechanic look everything over and he gave it the green light." Bucky reported.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to get back out on tour, but it'll be nice to feel the rush again." Rayna climbed up on the bus to check out things inside.

"Is everything set up to your satisfaction?" Bucky asked after she'd walked around and explored for a minute.

"Yeah, Buck, it's great." Rayna sat down on the couch. She put her hands over her face and started crying.

Bucky's expression went from pleased to alarmed. "Ray, what's wrong?"

Rayna waved her hand in front of her face. "Ignore the tears. Toby says I have to let myself feel things as they come no matter how extreme the feelings are. It's just I almost wasn't here to do this. Sometimes I have to pause to let myself be thankful and scared at the same time."

"I get it completely. When you were laying there in that hospital bed fighting for your life I was pretty damn scared myself. Not because you're my only client or because I was afraid of being out of a job. You and have been together for a long time and you're family to me. So, the thought of getting up every day and not being able to talk to you scared the hell outta me." Bucky sat down beside her.

"We have been through a war together, haven't we?" Rayna smiled a little bit.

"We have," Bucky nodded his head and smiled back at her.

"You've been there through all my rocky relationships and the drama in my life. You didn't hand me your resignation when it woulda made your life a whole lot easier to quit. The only person who has been by my side longer than you is Deacon. I think we both know even when we weren't together we were together." Rayna replied.

"The only person who knows you better than I know you is Deacon. That's why there have been times I've let him deal with you and tell you the things I know you rather not hear. It was easier that way." He teased her lightly then he grew serious. "There were times when I knew you were making a mistake and I couldn't say anything because it would only make the situation worse. I didn't run, I knew you would need me once you came out on the other side. You being with Luke was a disaster from the start. He was the rebound that never should have gotten as far as it did. That relationship moved too far too fast. That's why I'm a little hesitant about you going out on the road with him. You two put each other through the wringer."

She turned to face him. "I know, but it's gonna be ok. I will do my thing without letting his media circus of a life affect me. I wouldn't be comfortable doing this or be able to do it if it weren't for Deacon. I know that he has my back and he will be here running things without letting Zach ruin my label."

Bucky nodded his head. "He really has stepped up in a way that surprised me. I mean I knew he had it in him. I guess I was so used to dealing with the drunken mess he became I forgot how well suited he is for this business. For a minute there when we didn't know if you were gonna make it, it looked like he shut down, but by day two he was in control. He was so strong for you and the girls. That's when I knew no matter what happened everything was gonna be ok."

"I think we forgot with everything that happened before that he's a survivor and he'll always come out on top no matter what." Rayna wiped away her tears.

Bucky took a deep cleansing breath and let it out. "We should probably get out of here and tie up the rest of the last minute things at the office. You have to get ready for tonight."

"Yeah, we should get goin'. I don't wanna be late. Buck, I wouldn't be able to go out on tour like this if I didn't know that you were gonna be right by my side. I promise you when this is all over you will get your job back." Rayna stood to go.

"I'm kicking that punk out of my office the first chance I get." Bucky agreed with her.

* * *

Deacon had spent the day doing some shopping with Maddie and Daphne while Rayna finished getting things at the office ready for her to go out on the road with Luke.

"Dad, as long as we're here can we please stop by the Opry. Please, please, please." Daphne begged.

"Yeah, dad, it would be really cool if we could." Maddie agreed with her sister.

Deacon groaned his hands were full of shopping bags from all the stores they had drug him to. "Can't we just go home? Y'all act like you don't get to go to the Opry all the time."

"Please, dad," Maddie and Daphne both gave him puppy dog eyes.

Deacon sighed and shook his head. "Ok, fine. We will get in the truck and drive over there. I don't know why you two want to, but you're the ones explaining to your mother why we aren't home for one of her last nights in town."

"Thank you," Each of them kissed his cheek.

He just muttered something that they couldn't hear and walked to the truck with them. When they drove over to the Opry he parked in the artists' lot and led them into the artists' entrance.

"This way, dad." Maddie took his hand and drug him in the direction of the dressing rooms.

"It's 'bout damn time y'all got here. I was startin' to think that you weren't gonna be able to pull this off." Rayna met them at the door to her dressing room.

"It took a lot of convincing to get him to come." Daphne defended herself and her sister.

Deacon looked between the three women in his life confused. "What exactly is goin' on here?"

"I'm playing a last minute show here tonight before I go out on tour with Luke. If you'll recall we both said that we were sorry my first time up on stage since the accident wasn't going to be with you. I decided that we should make that happen. I know it's not as good as coming out on the road with me, but it will do for now. At least I hope it will." Rayna explained to him.

Deacon took her into his arms and kissed her. "I love you so damn much. This was a great idea, but I don't have my guitar with me."

"Darlin', I've been doin' this with you for so long now that I know which guitars you use when we play a gig. I packed up the right ones and had someone from the office bring 'em over here." Rayna assured him.

"I say let's do this then." Deacon gave her a lopsided grin.

"It won't take you long to get ready will it? Never mind I know who I'm talkin' to. I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I just couldn't leave for six weeks without makin' this right between us. After as wonderful as you've been you deserve this much." Rayna pecked his lips.

"Baby, this is all I need to be happy. You and these two girls." Deacon put an arm around Rayna and Daphne. "Maddie, get with your momma, so we can get a move on."

"You are so cheesy." Maddie rolled her eyes, but she put her arm around her mother.

"I'd ask if you're sure you're ready for this, but I don't have to. You look ready, you look like you. That's the first time in months I've been able to say that. It's more than that, though, you look free." Deacon took Rayna's hand as they stood on the side of the stage waiting to go on.

"This is probably gonna sound crazy to you, but since I faced Wayne in that courtroom I feel like I got some of my control back. I got up there and forgave him and asked that the court show him mercy 'cause he's obviously sick. I didn't do it just because I want this all to be over with. I did it, because it was the one thing I could control in this situation." Rayna squeezed his hand.

"I don't give a damn why you did it. I just know that I'm proud of you and I'm glad to have my Rayna back. You survived that crash, but for a long time you weren't you. I was startin' to worry you never would be again." Deacon finally admitted his worst fear to her.

"You and me both, babe." Rayna slipped her arm around his waist.

"Ms. Jaymes, you're on in thirty seconds." A stagehand told her.

Rayna smiled. "I'm ready,"

When it was time Deacon walked out on stage first and took his place with the band.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome to the stage for the first time in awhile, Ms. Rayna Jaymes," Vince Gill got the pleasure of announcing her.

Rayna walked out with her mic in her hand and waved to the crowd.

The place erupted into cheers and applause. Everyone in the audience was on their feet.

When she saw that she was overtaken by her emotions a little. It was only natural given the situation.

She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Thank y'all so much for that. I really appreciate it. It's great to be back here and under my own power no less. I've have months of sittin' 'round doin' nothin'. So, I hope you're as excited about tonight as I am." She gestured for Deacon to start playing.

They ran through some of Rayna's old songs and some of their new stuff together.

"Before they kick me off the stage tonight I wanna do just one more for you. It's a hit of mine from way back when. My daughter also made some noise with this song. Tonight I dedicate it to the man it was written for. I don't know where I'd be without you, babe." Rayna spoke to the crowd before she launched into Sanctuary.

There wasn't a dry eye left in the place by the time she'd finished. Everyone could the emotion in her voice and in her words.

"I love you so damn much, woman." Deacon hugged her as soon as they exited the stage.

"I love you too, babe." Rayna kissed him.

"Ray, you killed it out there. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you'd never stepped away. I'm already seeing some early press on this and it's very favorable." Bucky walked up with his iPad in his hand.

"Bucky, do you ever give it a rest?" Deacon joked with him.

"When you have the client, I have you learn that you can never rest." Bucky retorted.

"He makes a valid point. He has to keep up with that stuff because I try not to. I'm goin' into tour mode I don't worry about things as much when I'm in tour mode." Rayna laughed.

"Keep rubbin' it in that you're goin off to be on tour and leavin' me to deal with our two little mini divas." Deacon teased.

"They like you better than they like me these days anyway. They cooperate with you." Rayna leaned against his side.

"Probably 'cause when compared to you I'm a pushover." Deacon threw his arm around her shoulders.

"You were born to have daughters, babe." Rayna kissed his cheek.

"Let's get outta here and get some food. Your daughters have had me on the go all day and I'm starvin'." Deacon steered her in the direction of her dressing room, so he could get her to leave.

* * *

Rayna and Luke's tour kicked off in Nashville at the Bridgestone and it had sold out in minutes when it was announced. That afternoon they were doing press before the show. They were seated at a table filled with mics in front of a backdrop that said The Moonshine and Rhinestones tour. Flashbulbs from cameras went off all around them.

"Rayna, how does it feel to be going out on tour for the first time since your accident?" One reporter asked.

"It feels good even if it is with this cowboy over here." Rayna played it up for the cameras. She was slipping back into her stage persona effortlessly.

"Luke, how are you going to handle being on tour with your ex?" Another reporter called out.

"Well, there ain't really nothin' to handle. We started out as friends and we are still friends. The only difference is now if we drink like we did in the old days we will both pay for it with one hell of a hangover." Luke sure knew how to play the press.

"Is Deacon ok with this?" Someone hurled that question into the mix.

Rayna laughed it off. "I don't speak for my husband, but I will say this we both trust each other completely. If I were gonna cheat on a husband or boyfriend he woulda been the one I cheated with, so he has no worries there."

"He was my friend before she was I know how crazy he is and I wouldn't dream of crossin' the line." Luke added.

"Do you think this tour is going to be a success or is it just two aging super stars who don't know when to call it quits?"

Rayna and Luke shared a look.

"I know that I had issues and my image took a hit, but my star ain't as faded as y'all wanna think. And hers is just startin' its rise." Luke pushed his hat up off his forehead. Instead of his usual cowboy hat he was wearing a trucker hat. He answered that question as best he could.

"We've both had a little dust thrown on us. I'll y'all what though, I'll shine up my rhinestones and I'll make sure he polishes his belt buckle. We'll show you that not only do we still have it, but we ain't lost a step." Rayna recovered nicely.

Bucky looked at Rayna and held up his arm and tapped his watch to indicate they needed to get going.

"Our managers will have a heart attack if we don't get out of here and get to sound check on time. I'm sure y'all haven't seen the last of us by any means." Rayna stood up.

"Wheels up," Luke had to close out their press conference with his catchphrase.

"What do I have to do to not have to hear that every five minutes for the next six weeks?" Rayna whispered lowly as they walked off.

"Just be thankful we both have our own tour buses or you'd be hearin' it a lot more." Luke joked with her.

"There's only one man I can share a tour bus with. I've been doin' it since we were young and broke, but I even get tired of him sometimes. I'm sure that you and I wouldn't make it a day." Rayna gave back just as good as she got.

"Luke, you're on for sound check now. I lost the coin toss to Bucky you open tonight." Jimmy reported.

"Jimmy, I was gonna tell you to let her have tonight anyway." Luke replied.

"I guess I should head to the dressing room to make sure everything is in order." Rayna threw out there.

"No, you have to come with me." Bucky said.

"What's goin' on, Buck?" Rayna looked at him confused.

"You'll see in just a minute." Bucky led her up to the upper deck of the arena.

"It's 'bout time you got her up here, Buck." Deacon grinned when he saw the look on his wife's face.

"If I don't keep her on tight schedule you know she would get carried away and run out of time. You've got her until Luke finishes sound check and then she needs to be on stage." Bucky said before he left them to their own devices.

"What are you doin' here?" Rayna stole a kiss from him.

"I'm here to do the same thing we did the first time we played a show like this." Deacon knew she would know what he meant by that.

"We have to sit up here in the cheap seats and remind ourselves where we came from." Rayna smiled and allowed him to lead her to a pair of seats.

"Do you remember the first time we did this?" Deacon looked down on the stage and watched Luke and his band get ready.

"I do. I remember thinking that we had officially made it. All the dive bars and opening for unknowns had finally paid off. We were in the big show now." Rayna smiled as she thought back to all those years ago.

"Seems like a different life time, now doesn't it?" Deacon mused. At least for him that's what it felt like. He'd been a completely different person back then. He'd still been drinking and wasn't the man she needed him to be.

"It really does. It was back before everythin' fell apart. Your drinking wasn't that bad and it was before I told a lie that changed all our lives." Rayna stared into his eyes.

"What would you change if you could?" Deacon asked her.

"Everythin' and nothin'. I figure it got us here, so it can't be all bad." Rayna answered him honestly.

"There may be a few little things I'd change, but I have to believe that no matter what you and I were meant to be together. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on you." Deacon kissed her deeply.

"I'm gonna miss you while I'm on the road I want you to know that." Rayna raked her fingers through his hair.

"I'm gonna miss you too." Deacon rested his forehead against hers.

"I want you to know that ever since I fired you I look over to the side of the stage and when I don't see you I miss you." Rayna informed him.

"Every time I see you on stage without me it feels like somethin' is missin'." Deacon rubbed her back.

They sat up there talking until Luke was done with sound check.

Rayna looked confused when Deacon walked out on the stage with her.

"Well, I thought that this is your first big show in a while and it wouldn't be right if you didn't have your bandleader with you. I already have my guitars here. I may or may not have had Bucky slip me your set list. I've got it down cold. You know that." Deacon grinned widely.

"At the risk of soundin' like you. I really love the hell outta you, you know that?" Rayna kissed him.

"I really love the hell outta you too." Deacon replied.

"Can y'all stop makin' out for once since I known ya and get to doin' what you're supposed to be doin'?" Luke couldn't help giving them a hard time.

"Hey, Wheels Up, I got a hand gesture for you." Deacon flipped him off.

"I think for the first time I'm kinda glad you're not comin' out on tour. I forgot what the two of you are like together." Rayna rolled her eyes at them.

Deacon laughed and picked up his guitar. "Give it a couple days you'll wish that I was out on tour with you."

They did a quick run through of Rayna's set and then her encore with Luke.

"I think you're set. Y'all know when you have to be back here. I think that Bucky and I can trust the two of you to do that." Jimmy wasn't sure he should let Luke out of his sight, but he was going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Luke, we're doin' a Highway 65 family dinner. You should come." Rayna extended an invitation to him.

"You sure? I wouldn't wanna impose or anythin' like that." Luke replied.

"She's sure or she wouldn't have asked you. You know she's not gonna take no for an answer she's used to getting' her way." Deacon stepped in to stop a back and forth argument between them.

"In that case, I accept." Luke smiled.

"He was right you didn't have a choice." Rayna laughed.

* * *

"Thank you, Nashville! Y'all have been amazin' tonight. Now put your hands together for my co-headliner, Rayna Jaymes." Luke hyped up the crowd after he had finished his set.

The crowd went wild.

"Deacon remember start with the new song first and from there just stick to the set list." Rayna went over things with him one last time.

"I've got it, Ray, it ain't my first rodeo. I know just how you like it." Deacon winked at her.

Rayna smacked him playfully. She knew that he'd meant that to be dirtier than it sounded. "Stop it, I have to go out there. I can't go out there blushin' 'cause you have a dirty mind."

Deacon grinned at her. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Rayna, I've got 'em good and warmed up for you. Go out there and finish bringin' the house down." Luke squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"Watch and learn that way you'll know what to do when it's turn." Rayna zinged him.

"Come on, y'all let's walk." Deacon talked to the rest of the band. They dutifully followed him out on the stage like he was still their bandleader. He started playing before Rayna walked out. She'd hit her cue like she was supposed to.

The crowd clapped and cheered when she finally walked out. She stood behind the mic and took a breath to prepare herself for this song. _"My right hand holds matches my left holds my past. I hope the wind catches and burns it down fast. I'm gonna step into the fire with my failures and my shame and wave goodbye to yesterday as I dance among the flames."_ She sang the opening line softly.

" _So, don't try to save me now. Let the walls of my world all burn down. Just stand back and wait 'til the smoke finally passes. And I will rise from the ashes. From the ashes. From the ashes."_ She put all her emotions into the chorus.

Deacon caught her eyes and nodded his head to let her know it was all gonna be ok.

" _For all that I'm losing, much more will I gain. The hard part is choosing to change what needs changed. And my step will be much lighter with these demons off my chest. I'm born a better spirit and lay the old to rest."_ She took her mic out of the stand started to walk around the stage. Deacon's presence was all she needed to have the courage to pour her heart out the first time.

" _So, don't try to save me now. Let the walls of my world all burn down. Just stand back and wait 'til the smoke finally passes. And I will rise from the ashes. From the ashes. From the ashes."_

" _And I'll walk away stronger. I will be flyin' higher and truer than I've flown before. My right hand holds matches. My left holds my past. I hope the wind catches and burns it down fast."_

"Ok, we got the deep song out of the way. Now, let's get this party started. Go for it, Deacon." Rayna hyped up the crowd.

Deacon started playing the tune for Already Gone. He smiled to see how effortlessly she'd stepped back into this. He'd been a little worried that maybe she'd pushed herself too far too soon. He could see now he didn't need to be worried about her.

" _I'd get along without you baby if I only could. There ain't a thing about you baby that does me any good. But still you try to keep me here. Well, is that just your pride? Every day with you is a like a roller coaster ride."_ Rayna launched into the song to start their encore.

" _It's so complicated. It's drivin' me insane. It's just a ball and chain. It's just a ball and chain."_ Luke and Deacon added their voices to the chorus.

" _Listen here. There ain't no doubt about it baby, you push me away. Every time I turn my back you're beggin' me to stay. Then you leave me hangin' on I don't know where you're at. If I knew you were really gone well I could handle that."_ Luke took over.

" _It's so complicated it's drivin' me insane. It's just a ball and chain. Just a ball and chain."_

" _I've tried all the things I could to get me off the hook, but still I keep fallin' for every single trick in the book."_ Deacon sang that part of the song.

Rayna danced over to her husband and held her mic up to his mouth. _"All those little games you play babe used to be fun. Baby we were flyin' higher close to the sun."_

Deacon bumped her hip with his and she spun around to face look.

" _But you're tearin' me apart all the good is gone. There's a shadow hangin' over us. What was right is wrong. It's so complicated it's drivin' me insane. It's just a ball and chain. Just a ball and chain. Just a ball and chain. Just a ball and chain. Just a ball and chain."_

Deacon played an extra long outro on his guitar to put his skills on display.

"Freakin' Deacon Claybourne, everybody." Luke cheered.

"Thank you, Nashville! We love y'all." Rayna blew a kiss to the crowd.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 20

Rayna got up from where she was sitting with a wince. She stumbled slightly. She and Luke had been doing some press after their concert.

"Rayna, you ok?" Luke gently took hold of her arm to steady her.

"I'm still gettin' used to wearin' heels all the time again. And sittin' for extended periods of time makes me stiff and sore as hell. I'll be ok." Rayna flashed him a reassuring smile.

"You sure? We could skip the after party tonight and get some dinner together if you wanted to." Luke offered.

"That's a real nice offer, Luke, but it's ok. I can make the rounds. It's good for me to get into this and forget that I still hurt like hell. Injuring your pelvis is not a fun thing to do. I don't recommend it." Rayna pulled out of his grip.

They had been on tour for two weeks and so far things were going great. All their shows were sold out. Best of all the were both getting a lot of press and making a lot of money from this.

"Fair enough. Do you wanna stop and get some of your pain medication before we head out?" Luke asked.

"I took some before the show and I have some with me in case I need it. There are days that I think I'm over the pain and then there are days when it feels like I'm never going to be pain free again." Rayna shrugged.

"Did I ask you to come back out on the road too soon?" Luke worried. Despite the way things has ended between them he didn't want to do anything that would hurt her.

"No, I'm fine. Like I said I just have to get used to being in the game again." Rayna assured him.

"So, what are you gonna do with that upcomin' week off we have?" Luke changed the subject.

"I plan on spendin' as much time as I can with my husband and daughters doin' absolutely nothin'." Rayna answered quickly.

"That sounds perfect. Colt is off doin' his thing in the army. I think I might stop in on Sage and her mom." Luke replied.

Rayna arched her eyebrow at him. "I didn't realize that you and Nicole were on good terms again."

Luke blushed and shrugged. "Let's just say that I took a page outta you and Deacon's playbook and leave it at that."

"Luke, about that. You know it wasn't like that, don't you?" Rayna sighed.

"Yeah, it was. And that's ok. You two were together long before I ever threw my hat in the ring. There are just some things that don't go away. You share a child together and I know that better than anyone. I have never apologized for pushin' you too far too fast. You weren't ready to go public with us when you did and you weren't ready to get married again, but I asked you 'cause I was scared of losin' you to Deacon. You weren't ready and I knew it. I ended up doin' just that. It's 'cause y'all were meant to be. So, I'm sorry. I shoulda known better." Luke finally apologized for the mistakes he'd made.

"I shoulda never said yes to you on either count. I have some blame in this too. I shoulda told you that I couldn't marry you before our weddin' day." Rayna felt like she had to say that.

"I shoulda listened to my heart and what I could clearly see with my two eyes. You and Deacon weren't done. You didn't even try to work through the problems that had broken y'all up. And I was just a jealous asshole." Luke admitted.

"Luke, it means the world to me to hear you say that." Rayna squeezed his shoulder.

"It needed to be said if we are gonna keep workin' together like this." Luke kissed her cheek chastely.

"Let's get to this after party. I think we could both use a good time." Rayna let the matter drop.

"You've got that right. I will still use any excuse to party." Luke laughed politely.

"I need a party right now." Rayna smiled.

* * *

"Dad, I have to tell you that she is gonna kill you when she sees this." Maddie laughed at her dad.

"She really isn't gonna like this, dad." Daphne agreed with her sister.

"I don't care. I haven't seen that woman in three weeks. If I wanna make a sign to welcome her home that's my business." Deacon retorted.

They were in the airport to pick Rayna up for her break. She had been on the road for three weeks and they had all missed her terribly.

"Well, when she gets mad at you don't say that we didn't try to warn you." Maddie shrugged.

"He's hopeless, Maddie. I hope someday a boy thinks about me the way he thinks about her." Daphne tried to get her sister to be nicer.

"Oh, I know. Me too. I think it's great. Even if it is a little gross to be their children." Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Who knows, maybe this little break will get us a baby sibling." Daphne retorted.

"Daph, that's gross. They are parents they really shouldn't still be doing the thing that leads to babies." Maddie scoffed.

"That's enough outta both of you." Deacon sighed. It was both his blessing and his curse to have two daughters. There was a part of him that secretly hoped for another baby with Rayna. It was his devout wish if that happened their child would be a boy. He couldn't help thinking it would be cool to have a son to carry on his name.

When Rayna's flight was called as getting into the airport Deacon held up a sign that read 'Mrs. Claybourne,'

Rayna disembarked the plane deep in conversation with Bucky. Every now and then she would look around for Deacon, since he was supposed to be picking her up. A bright smile came to her face when she saw the sign that he had made before she looked and saw him standing their with their daughters and a boyish smile on his face.

She walked over to them. "I think I may be the Mrs. Claybourne you're lookin' for."

"I think you're right on the money with that." Deacon picked her up and spun her around before planting a deep kiss on her lips.

"Ok, dad, let her breathe. There are two other people here who have missed her too." Maddie teased him.

Deacon sat Rayna back on her feet. "I've really missed you, Ray."

"I've really missed you too, Deac." Rayna nuzzled his nose with hers.

"You better go see these two girls. They've missed you almost as much as I have." Deacon steered her towards the girls.

Rayna opened her arms to her daughters. "I have missed you both so much. I'm so glad that we are gonna have this week together."

"I've missed you too mom." Daphne hugged her back.

"I have been so busy with promo stuff that I haven't had time to miss anyone. I don't know how Bucky has enough time in the day to set so much stuff up for both of us." Maddie hugged her mom too.

"Tell me that Juliette and your dad have been helping you." Rayna begged.

"Juliette found herself a new project and I'm busy in the office with Tandy. I take her when I can to watch over her and if I can't be there Scarlett is." Deacon answered her.

"Good, I should hope that you won't let our seventeen-year-old run around without a safety net." Rayna gave her husband a look.

"I wouldn't dream of lettin' her run 'round without a safety net. I have this under control." Deacon assured her.

"Should I even bother going back into the office while I'm in town?" Rayna asked him.

"Stay outta the office while you're in town. You don't wanna be there. I don't know when we are gonna make enough money to get rid of Zach, but it won't be soon enough for my likin'." Deacon rolled his eyes. He was so sick of dealing with that kid it wasn't funny.

"I will take your warning to heart and I will stay out of the office." Rayna slipped her hand in his.

"Let's go get your luggage then get home." Deacon smiled brightly. He was so happy to have her home.

"That sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long time." Rayna agreed with him.

Before they could go get her luggage Bucky caught up to them. He had just hung up his phone. "Ray, I need a minute of your time."

"What do you need, Buck? I just wanna go home and relax." Rayna sighed.

"I promise that this will only take a minute and it's good news." Bucky assured her.

"Ok, you have as long as it takes Deacon and the girls to get my bags." Rayna relented.

"Come on, y'all, momma and Uncle Bucky have to talk business let's leave 'em be." Deacon ushered his daughters over to baggage claim.

"I just got off a call and Jimmy got a similar one. They want you and Luke to extend your tour by six months. I know that it's something that you'll have to talk over with Deacon, but it's gonna bring a lot of money into the label. The more money you have the sooner you can stand on your own and be rid of Zach." Bucky pointed out to her.

"Let me talk to Deacon about it and get back to you. I want to say yes very badly. I just have to talk to him first." Rayna retorted.

"I failed to mention that they want three of those months to be a European leg." Bucky sweetened the pot for her.

"It has been awhile since I've toured in Europe. That could be fun. I could have the girls come out a couple times and join me. That would be perfect. I just have to get that grumpy old man to agree to it." Rayna mused.

"As I recall he's not all that difficult when it comes to giving you your way." Bucky arched his eyebrow.

"That was before there were two teenage girls he had to deal with when I'm not at home." Rayna reminded him.

"I need an answer from you by the end of the week. I know without asking that Luke is on board." Bucky told her.

"I wanna say yes, but like I said I gotta talk to Deacon and this is gonna take more time away from me promoting our album. I begged him to do it and I rushed the release 'cause of Zach. I have made terrible decisions lately, but I really don't have time to analyze myself right now. I need to get to my family." Rayna groaned.

"Go, spend some time with Deacon and the girls. I will be over in the middle of the week and we can talk more about this then." Bucky shooed her off.

"See you later, Buck, enjoy your time off." Rayna waved over her shoulder at him.

* * *

"I have been looking forward to taking a shower in my own bathroom for the last week. When I get to stay in a hotel room and have those nice tubs and showers I don't mind, but the shower on the tour bus is no fun." Rayna stood in the doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom toweling her hair dry.

Deacon was laid out across the bed in a t-shirt and boxers reading a book. "I remember how tiny the showers on those buses are. At least you've always gotten your own to yourself. I've always had to share one with the band. I can't really feel sorry for you, darlin'." He looked at her over the top of his glasses.

"Oh, I know that I won't get any sympathy from you. You haven't ever gotten to use the good shower or the good bedroom on the tour bus." Rayna got in bed beside him and turned the TV on.

Deacon put his book down on the bedside table and took his glasses off. He pulled her close to him and put his arm around her. "I've missed you in this bed beside me."

Rayna snuggled into his side. "I've missed being in this bed beside you."

He rolled over on his side and kissed her deeply. "I've missed you so damn much."

She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Same here, baby."

His hand wandered up her pajama shirt and he ghosted his fingertips over her smooth flesh. His lips went to her neck. "Let me show you how much." He nipped her earlobe with his teeth.

She threw her head back and giggled softly. "Honey, I love where this is goin', but I am way too tired tonight. If you can wait until tomorrow night I promise to make it worth your while. I wanna be able to give you my full attention and not worry that i'm gonna fall asleep on ya."

He rolled back over on his side of the bed. "I get it, babe, you're tired from bein' on the road and on a plane all this time. I want your full attention for the things I'm gonna do to you." He smirked.

"I am lookin' forward to that." She cuddled with him again. "I do have somethin' that I need to talk to you 'bout. I don't know how you're gonna feel, and I hope that you can keep an open mind."

Deacon turned on his side to face her. "You can talk to me 'bout anythin', you know that."

"Bucky got a call today and the sponsors decided that they would like me and Luke to extend the tour by six months." Rayna bit her lip after she finished speaking.

Deacon got quiet for a minute and contemplated what he wanted to say next. "Is that somethin' you want?"

"I think it would be great for the label and by extension great for us. It would put us back into the black and I could get rid of Zach. I should have known better than to get into bed with him. I would have come up with a solution on my own sooner or later. I was just in a bind and I didn't know how else I was gonna get out of it." Rayna rambled a little bit. She couldn't really get a good read on his expression, but she knew he wasn't very happy.

"What would this extended tour entail?" Deacon asked.

"We would finish up this leg of the tour and Daphne would be outta school and then we would head to Europe for the next leg. That would last three months. Think what awesome parents we would be if we let them hang out in Europe all summer." Rayna explained to him.

"Would you finish up the tour in the states?" He arched his eyebrow.

"Yes, we would. Nothin' has been decided or hammered out yet. I wanted to talk to you first." She batted her eyelashes at him and kissed his neck playfully. "What do you say, babe?"

"I say I don't like it, but it's what we need for right now, so I will go along with it." He chuckled softly. "You don't fight fair you know? You just told me you were too tired for sex and now you're tryin' to bribe me with sex."

She climbed on top of him and kissed him over and over. "I knew that I could count on you to side with me." She kissed both his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. "I wouldn't be opposed to a quickie if you're in." She reached down and slipped his member out of his boxers.

He reached up under her pajama shirt and pulled her panties down her long, shapely legs. He moaned loudly when she sank down onto him without any warning. "Oh, babe," he panted.

She tossed her head back and closed her eyes lost in pleasure. "I've really missed this part of you." She moved her hips up and down slowly to torture him and to prolong the fireworks she was feeling.

He grabbed her hips and helped guide her up and down his shaft. He was ok with the slow pace at the moment, because it had been too long and he was afraid he would explode quicker than normal. He pulled her down so that her upper body lay on top of his and he kissed her deeply.

She kissed him back and continued to bounce her hips. She got aggressive and shoved her tongue in his mouth.

The little bit of restraint he'd been showing evaporated. He flipped them over so that he was on top of her and he pounded into her.

Rayna dragged her nails down his back and dug her heels into his ass to pull him deeper inside her.

Deacon buried his face in her neck and bit and sucked on it.

She left angry red scratches down his back.

He left a sizable hickey on her neck to mark her as his.

It didn't take long until they both came together in a blaze of white hot passion.

Afterwards they lay panting in each other's arms. They looked at each other and they both started laughing.

"That was incredible." She laid her head on his chest and kissed it.

"We gotta do more of that in future." He rubbed her back lovingly.

"I agree." Rayna kissed his chest again.

"I'm thinkin' after you finish this tour I'm gonna need you to give me a son." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"Is that so?" She grinned up at him.

"That's so. If I'm gonna be so understandin' and let my wife tour with her former fiancé then I'm gonna need somethin' in return." He smiled back.

"I will happily give you another baby, but it's up to you if we get a boy or a girl." She teased him.

"Well, I think I've got a boy in me. I wasn't really tryin' the first time and we got a pretty awesome kid. Imagine what we could get if I really put some thought into it." He teased her right back.

She covered her face with her hand and laughed loudly. "I love you so damn much. I think it's adorable that you think that."

"I love you too. And you'll see. I'll show you I know what I'm talkin' 'bout." He smiled from ear to ear.

Deacon and Rayna had been asleep for a few hours when his phone rang. He reached around blindly and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" His voice was groggy and heavily laden with sleep.

"Uncle Deacon, it's me, I think there's somethin' wrong with the baby." Scarlett's panicked voice came over the other end of the phone.

He sat up quickly and turned on the light. "I will be right over, you hang on." He started to get dressed.

Rayna didn't know what was going on, but she got up and got dressed too. "What's goin' on, babe?"

"Scarlett thinks that somethin' is wrong with the baby. I'm gonna take her to the hospital." He answered her.

"I'm comin' with you." She grabbed her phone and keys. "I'll drive and you can ride in the back with Scarlett."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to get over to Deacon's old place and get Scarlett to the hospital. The doctors took her back to an exam room right away since she was bleeding and that wasn't a good sign with her being pregnant. It also didn't take the doctors long to determine that she had lost the baby.

At Scarlett's insistence they took her back to her house. She didn't want her younger cousins to know just yet that she had lost the baby.

Rayna got Scarlett settled in on the couch and then sat down in the chair that used to be Deacon's favorite. "I'm gonna spend the day with you and I won't hear any arguments. You need me right now and the girls have been doin' just fine with their daddy."

"I won't even argue with you." Scarlett offered her a small smile.

"Honey, you ain't gotta put on a brave face for me. You go on and feel whatever you need to feel. I'm here for you no matter what." Rayna assured her.

"I feel terrible for sayin' this, but part of me feels relieved. It avoids this whole complicated situation with Gunnar and Damien." Scarlett admitted.

"You don't have to feel bad for that at all. I know first hand that situation you were in wasn't easy." Rayna moved from the chair to the couch to sit next to her. She put the young woman's head in her lap and played with her hair.

"I felt like my choices were limited to the two of them. I felt trapped." Scarlett went on, but she yawned.

"I understand that feelin' too." Rayna played with her hair more. "I used to do this for you when you were a little girl. When you would come and spend time with me and your Uncle Deacon you would latch on to me like a little barnacle. I loved it and so did you. We both know what your momma was like and I think it was one of the only times you got any little bit of affection."

Scarlett yawned again. "I do know that she tried her best, but she just wasn't maternal. I was lookin' forward to the chance to be different." Her words lost their steam towards the end of that sentence and she fell asleep.

Rayna smiled down at her fondly. "That still works like a charm I see." She laid her head back against the couch and went to sleep as well.

A few hours later Rayna was in the kitchen making Scarlett some soup for lunch and the younger woman was sitting at the kitchen counter. There was a commotion at the door.

"Do you want to watch your soup or go get the door?" Rayna asked.

"I'll watch the soup." Scarlett replied.

Rayna went to the door and opened it. She found Jessie leaving a care package on the front stoop. "Did you need some help with somethin', Jessie?"

"Rayna, I didn't know that you were back in town. I ran into Deacon at the coffee shop and he mentioned what happened. I thought that maybe Scarlett could use the care package. I was hoping to be done and gone before anyone saw me."

Rayna arched her eyebrow and looked the blonde up and down critically. She didn't quite know what to think of her. Part of her felt sorry for her and another part of her felt like she needed to be worried about her trying to get her hooks in Deacon. She wanted to befriend her, but she couldn't help being wary. "Let me see if she's up for visitors. You were doin' somethin' nice you shouldn't have to sneak around." She looked over her shoulder at Scarlett. "You up for some company?"

Scarlett nodded her head. "Sure,"

Rayna opened the door wider and allowed for Jessie's entrance. "Come on in."

Jessie picked up the package she had brought for Scarlett and walked in. "Hi, Scarlett, I won't stay long. I was just talking to your uncle and he told me what happened. I wanted you to know that you're not alone. You're not the only woman who has been there."

"I know that. I really do. Right now it just feels like I'm alone." Scarlett shrugged her shoulders.

"I remember it feeling like that too. I didn't know what I was supposed to say or how I was supposed to feel. Turning to my mother didn't help much. She tried to make me feel better, but she only made me feel worse. Brad was no help at all." Jessie volunteered.

Rayna looked between the two women and she opened up about something that she'd never told anyone before. "I really was alone. I couldn't tell Deacon he would have blamed himself and gone on an even deeper spiral and I couldn't talk to my sister who hated my boyfriend. I had to pretend that I was crying for different reasons every time he saw me crying. He would go on a bender for the least little thing anyway. There was no way I could tell him that I lost our baby." She reached over and grabbed Scarlett's hand. "It's hard, but you are not alone. This does get better.

"Being a woman sucks, but men couldn't handle it. That's why we get all the hard work." Jessie offered a sympathetic smile.

"We do it better than they would anyway." Rayna agreed.

* * *

Deacon was standing the kitchen making popcorn on the stove when Rayna came home. "Hey, baby, you made it home just in time. The girls are upstairs right now, but I'm gettin' things ready for our movie marathon." He smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you for bein' so great with Scarlett today."

Rayna walked over and put her arms around his waist. "She's our niece. You don't have to thank me for that. It's what you do when you love someone." She kissed the back of his neck.

He sighed contentedly. "I sure do love you."

"I love you too, babe." She rubbed his abs.

"How is our other girl?" He asked her.

"She's doing as well as can be expected right now. Jessie was nice enough to stop by." She mentioned casually, but she was on a fishing expedition. She trusted her husband, she wasn't sure she trusted the other woman.

"Yeah, I ran into her at the coffee shop after I dropped Daphne off at school. I just mentioned it in passin'." He took the popcorn off the stove and poured it into a bowl.

She bit her lip and sighed. She turned him around to face her. "Babe, you know that I trust you to have a friend who is a woman. I know that the last thing in this world you'd do is cheat on me, but why is she comfortable enough thinkin' that she can just show up like that?"

"I didn't tell her to and I didn't ask her to. I promise that you have nothin' to worry 'bout she is just a friend. I think that she isn't you." He held his hand up to stop her when she went to protest. "What I mean by that is this, she's not strong and she's never had anyone in her corner. I think she doesn't know how to behave 'cause of that and doesn't know when somethin' crosses a line or she is comin' on too strong."

She took that in stride and nodded her head. "I can see where you have a point. She's sweet, but it seems like someone has beat that poor girl down. I know it was Brad. I've had the misfortune of crossin' paths with him a few times in my career. That is one producer I want no part of if I can help it. You know that he made nothin' on me."

"I was with you when you worked with Brad. I remember that. I know what he was like. The only reason he never tried anythin' with you is 'cause he knew you wouldn't take his shit and 'cause everyone knew that I was crazy and would kill for you without question." He mused.

"You're a good man, Deacon. I know why you've befriended her and we don't have to talk 'bout it, but we can if you want to. I just know that this is because you couldn't save your momma from your daddy." Rayna pointed out to him.

Deacon looked off into space wistfully and cleared his throat. "You're right, I don't wanna talk 'bout it. I hate to talk 'bout it, but one day I know that we need to. I know that I need to talk to Maddie 'bout why what she said in court hurt me so badly, but I guess we will get there."

Before Rayna could reply to that the girls came down the back stairs.

"Hey, dad, is the popcorn ready?" Maddie asked.

"I picked out a couple movies for us." Daphne added.

"It's done and I've just been waitin' on y'all. Remember the deal. I get to watch a least one thing that I might like to watch." Deacon teased them.

"I hope y'all don't mind if I join this party." Rayna put an arm around each of her daughters and started to lead them into the living room.

Deacon grabbed the bowl of popcorn. "We don't mind at all, baby. Let's get this show on the road." He followed after three of the most important people in his life.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter I hope you guys enjoyed it. I really like the direction that this is going in and I have some great changes coming up to make this different than the crappy and undeserved ending we got for our beloved show. I want to thank you all for sticking with me this long. Until next time please review.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 21

Deacon and Rayna laid on blanket on the floor of the cabin holding each other. The logs in the fireplace crackled and popped in the background. He left a trail of kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. She purred softly and kissed his chest. She gazed up at him lovingly.

"I'm so glad that we were able to do this. We needed this time just the two of us before I go back out on the road." She ran her foot up and down his leg.

"I'm glad that we are doin' this too. I wish you didn't have to go back out for so long. I feel like we ain't really had time to just be married people and enjoy that." He ran his fingers up and down her back.

"I wish I had someone to leave the girls with so you could come out on tour with me. I mean they are technically old enough to not need a baby sitter just someone to stay at the house with them." She rubbed her nose against his.

He pulled her to him so their bodies were flush together. "Scarlett could probably be talked into stayin' with 'em, but I want her to have time to recover a little first. Until then I will keep bein' a good daddy and lookin' after our girls."

"I do love you in daddy mode. I think it's my favorite side of you." She parted her legs and wrapped them around him.

He slid into her with a low moan. "I love every part of you."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She dug her nails into his shoulder blades. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly to get over the initial discomfort of her pelvis.

He felt every muscle in her body stiffen. He kissed her neck softly. "I'm good, but I know I ain't that good. I've already got you there four times tonight. You're hurtin', ain't ya?" He kissed along her jawline.

"Not as much as when you do that." She groaned lowly.

"You're in pain. We don't have to keep goin'." He offered.

"Honey, I don't want anyone or anythin' to get in the way of us makin' love." Her face was screwed up in pain.

He pulled out and rolled her over on her side. He slid back into her. "There we go. Is that better?"

"Much better, baby," She reached behind her head and grabbed his hair.

He nipped at her shoulder as he moved in and out of her. "I ain't gonna let nothin' get in the way of me rockin' your world, darlin'."

"Why don't you stop runnin' your mouth and put those hands to good use? We are both gonna have friction burn in the mornin' if we keep up at this pace." She purred in the back of her throat.

"We used to do it way more than this in one night." He moved his hand around her body and rubbed her clit.

"We aren't close to our record high, but we are up there with one of our marathon fuck sessions." She moved back against him. She moaned and pressed herself closer to him.

"I'm gettin' old I don't know if I can get up to that record high anymore." He chuckled deep in his chest and nibbled on her ear.

It didn't take much more from either of them and they both came at the same time. Deacon rolled over on his back and pulled her into his arms.

Rayna rested her head on his chest and kissed it. She panted heavily and grinned up at him. "That was incredible."

He ran his fingers up and down her back. "We gotta make more time for that." He laughed deep in his chest.

"That's all we've done since I've been home darlin'. I ain't complainin' at all, though." She kissed on his neck.

"I'm gonna miss the hell outta ya, baby." He smirked.

"And I'm gonna miss the hell outta you too, Deac." She kissed along his jawline.

He swatted her ass playfully. "Stop it,"

She yelped and laughed. "Excuse you, what do you think you're doin'?"

"I'm just givin' you a little reminder to behave yourself out there on the road. I can always come give you a little reminder any time you need one though." He grinned at her.

"I would love it if you would come make sure I'm behavin' myself." She laid her head on his chest again.

"And I could be talked into playin' guitar for you. That wouldn't be a hardship for me at all." He joked.

"Well, thank you so much for your generosity, honey. I know what a burden it is for you to play guitar for someone else." She joked back with him.

Deacon pulled a blanket up over them. "It's not a burden when it's for you. You should know that, babe."

"I do know that and I love you so much." Rayna kissed him softly.

"I love you too, babe." He smiled down at her.

* * *

Deacon slipped in the kitchen door quietly in hopes that he wouldn't disturb the girls. He scrunched up his forehead when he saw that wasn't to be.

"Don't stand there lookin' all guilty like that. Come on in and have some breakfast with us." Scarlett made him a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast on it.

"I was hopin' that no one else would be up and I could avoid this whole conversation." Deacon sat down at the counter and started eating.

"You stayed out all night with your wife. We are gonna tease you 'bout it, but you didn't do anythin' wrong. It's important that you and Rayna have as much time alone together as possible when you can get it. And I'm sorry for takin' some of that time from y'all." Scarlett sat down next to him.

Deacon put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't you dare apologize for that. You're one of our girls and there is no where else in the world that she wanted or needed to be, but right by your side. I'm disappointed in Gunnar for leavin' you in the lurch like that."

Scarlett laid her head on his shoulder. "You don't have to go into papa bear mode. It wasn't even his baby. Things with him are very complicated and I can't deal with that on top of everythin' else."

"He was willin' to raise that baby with you. I think he's hurtin' just as badly as you are right now and he just don't know how to say it. In his mind he lost a baby too." Deacon reasoned with her.

"Are you mad at him or are you on his side?" Scarlett elbowed him in the side playfully.

"A little bit of both. He's just a junior league screw up when compared to me. I'm the king of all screw ups. I figure that means I've gotta give the kid a little break." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"We are all lucky to have you, you know that?" Scarlett asked him.

"I'll take your word for it. From where I stand I ain't all that great. I've done more than my fair share of the wrong thing." Deacon shrugged.

"Well, lately you've done more than your fair share of the right thing. Take the compliment, because I won't repeat myself." Tandy walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "You look worn out. I'm gonna assume that you and my baby sister spent all night sexing each other up."

"The queen of the backhanded compliment. Wouldn't you like to know?" Deacon blushed and shook his head. It wasn't that he was ashamed of anything he and Rayna did together, he just didn't want to talk to her sister about it.

"I wouldn't like to know, so please don't say a word in front of me about it." Scarlett interjected quickly.

"I have some really great news for you." Tandy changed the subject.

"What's that?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Rayna and Luke's tour is bringing a ton of money into the label. By the time they finish with the first leg of this tour we will be able to go in and terminate our contract with Zach. I've been putting the money that is coming in towards the bills. Now I'm putting things into savings and we will be in the black very soon. I want us to be safely in the black before we kick him out. I have accounts set up that he knows nothing about." Tandy explained.

"That sounds great to me. As long as I get to be the one to kick his ass out." He replied.

"I wouldn't dream of letting anyone other than you do it." Tandy assured him.

"For anyone who can handle more good news. I have Daphne caught up in her classes and she won't have to repeat the year." Scarlett announced.

"This is a red letter day for us. I think I'll celebrate by lettin' myself go into the studio and check on Juliette." Deacon snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Good luck with that." Tandy said sarcastically.

"I'm gonna need it." He agreed.

* * *

"Hey, stranger, I hope you ain't been waitin' on me long." Luke got onto the private jet and sat beside Rayna.

"I haven't been here too long. I'm in no hurry." Rayna sat down the magazine she had been thumbing through.

"How was your time off?" He kicked up his feet.

"It was amazing. I spent a lot of quality family time with Deacon and the girls, but it would be a lie to say I'm not happy to get back on the road. I love what we do and I almost wasn't here to do it." She replied.

"I feel the same way. There ain't nothin' like life out here doin' what we love. I spent my time off much the same way. I had Sage and Nicole out at the ranch. Colt even got to come up for a couple days." He reported.

"That's good, I'm glad that things are goin' so well for you on that front." She smiled.

"Me too." He smiled back. "We should be scared Jimmy and Bucky both have their phones attached to their ears. I think that's gonna mean trouble and a lot of work for both of us."

"We might as well start discussing how this extended tour is gonna work." She shrugged her shoulders. She had known when she said yes to extending the tour that it was going to be a lot of work.

"I have to say I was mighty surprised when Jimmy told me that you agreed to extend the tour. I would have thought that you would want more time off to just be with Deacon and be newlyweds. I know that ya'll haven't had a lot of time to do that." He told her.

"I have to do this now, so Deacon and I can have that time to be newlyweds. I gotta put out this fire that Maddie started. I love that girl to death, but she has caused problems since the moment I found out I was pregnant with her." She laughed softly. It was true Maddie had always needed more of her attention than Daphne had.

"I know exactly what you mean 'bout kids bein' a pain in the ass. What are you thinkin' for the tour?" He asked.

"I was thinking that we start in Australia. Daphne and Sage will both be out of school then and I thought it would be a great way to kick off the summer for them. That also means I can steal the week before we start up tourin' again to take my honeymoon. I owe my husband that much at least. He's been a very patient and understanding man lately. He's not thrilled 'bout this, but he is happy that he's gonna get to be out on the road with me this summer." Rayna explained.

"Yeah, that sounds fine to me. Then we can head up through Europe and hit those countries and cities in any way that we see fit." Luke agreed.

"I guess we better ask our war council what they think of that." She joked.

"That sounds like it will work out really well." Bucky was between phone calls at the moment and he could answer them.

Jimmy hung up his phone and joined the conversation. "Everyone is crazy about the new songs that you guys have been singing, so we need to schedule a free day and record them. You're both pros it shouldn't take that long. I will look into getting some studio time while we are in Texas."

"We can do that for sure." Rayna spoke up.

"I don't have a problem with that." Luke added.

'The phone call I just got off was about merchandising. You both need updated photos and you need some together." Bucky informed them.

"Whose idea was that? Deacon is barely ok with this. I don't know how he's gonna react to that, but I will handle it." Rayna arched her eyebrow.

"It was your sister's idea, but she says she only wants to do it because it will sell very well and because she knows that you need the money to get rid of that gigantic ass." Bucky still had pretty harsh feelings where Zach was concerned.

"I think I can spin that to Deacon. He is the only person who wants him gone more than you do. Set it up the first chance you get, Buck. Every little bit helps in this situation." Rayna said after thinking it over for a moment.

"We will get the ball rolling on everything. Get ready to have a very busy three weeks before we really get this tour going." Jimmy told them.

"We've been 'round this block a time or two, Jimmy. I think we've got this handled." Luke assured him.

"And, Ray, Toby said for you to call him the first chance you get." Bucky reminded her.

"I just talked to him two days ago. I'll call him when we land." Rayna rolled her eyes. She knew that he meant well and he had worked out great for her, but she was more than ready to put that chapter of her life behind her.

* * *

Deacon looked up from the paperwork he was dealing with to see Zach ushering Maddie into a conference room. To the best of his knowledge she didn't have any meetings set up with the label. And he would know he was the one handling her career with Rayna out on the road. He was counting down the days until he could tell him to get lost. Rayna had been back out on the road for a week that meant he only had to deal with him for fourteen more days. He would be damned if he let him drag his daughter down a path she didn't need to be on.

He jumped to his feet and went to the conference room to meet the pair. "What's goin' on in here, y'all?" He asked the question more calmly than he felt.

"I was just going over some ideas for brand partnerships with Maddie. It's something that I'm gonna have all our artist do, but I'm starting with her, because of the demographic that she reaches." Zach explained.

Deacon arched his eyebrow. "Maddie, is this somethin' you wanna do?"

"Maybe, but I know how much mom hates doing stuff like this, but I think I might like to try it." Maddie replied.

"As your father and the assistant manager to your mother I'm sayin' not only no, but hell no. This is the exact kinda thing she wanted to avoid when she started this label. She was made to do a lot of things with her music and her career that she didn't wanna do and she didn't want anythin' like that to go on here. I'm puttin' my foot down. It ain't happenin' with Maddie or any of the other artists 'round here." Deacon raged.

"Dad, be cool," Maddie tried to call him down. He had no idea how much he embarrassed her when he got like this.

"Deacon, calm down it's just an idea that I think has a lot of merit." Zach replied calmly

"It's an idea that goes against everythin' this label stands for. I really don't like it and I know that Rayna will hate it. You're supposed to be a silent partner in this label. We still own eighty percent of it. What we say overrules what you say. And don't you ever try to talk to my daughter 'bout somethin' again without runnin' it through me first." Deacon pointed a threatening finger in his direction.

"I don't know why you have to balk against everything that I suggest. I'm just trying to help keep this label afloat. Before I came along and Rayna went on tour again this label was running through money like water. I think that it would be in your best interests to at least listen to a little something that I have to say." Zach raged back.

"And I'm tellin' you that ain't what Ray wants and this is her label not yours or mine. Anythin' that this label has done to be a success is 'cause of her. The only thing you did was kick in a little money. We will be more than happy to pay you back as soon as we can. I don't think I've ever wanted anythin' as badly as I want you out of this label. I ain't gonna let you destroy what my wife has worked her ass off to build." Deacon flared angrily.

Maddie left the room while the pair was busy venting their tempers at each other. She got Tandy to get control of the situation.

"The only one who is gonna destroy anything that your wife has built is you. Just like you always have. It's a miracle that she's ever managed to make anything of herself with you dragging her down to your station. All you'll ever be is the weight around her neck. You could have been more than what you are if you would have just stayed out of your own way." Zach sneered at him.

"I'd like to wipe the floor with your scrawny ass right now." Deacon's face was bright red from anger. His hands were balled into fists.

"But, you're not gonna do that right now. I'm gonna take Zach into my office to have a conversation and you're gonna calm down. This office is full of glass we can't risk you killing someone." Tandy stepped in between the two men.

"Get him out of my sight or I won't be able to control myself." Deacon took a deep cleansing breath.

"I will gladly talk to anyone other than him." Zach straightened the lapels on his jacket and followed Tandy out of the room.

"Really, dad, you didn't learn anything from the whole emancipation fiasco?" Maddie made a show of rolling her eyes at him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Deacon demanded.

"It means you lost me and your bar all in a fit of your temper and you didn't learn a thing from it. You can't keep embarrassing me every time something happens that you don't like." Maddie retorted.

"You're not gonna take any responsibility for you gettin' emancipated at all? You're the one who got up on that damn stand in court and lied 'bout me. You ain't no more scared of me than you are of your momma. You let some stranger who you barely knew tell you what I was like when you knew damn good and well what I was really like. You let me get drug through the mud by someone who was supposed to keep all my secrets. I still don't understand why any of that happened and I don't think you do either. I'm a man who feels things deeply, but I'd die 'fore I did anythin' to make you scared of me." Deacon barked a little more harshly than he had intended to. He turned on his heel and walked out. He grabbed his coat from the office and walked out the front door.

* * *

"You keep those hands where I can see 'em, cowboy." Rayna warned Luke and gave him a flirty smile. They doing the photo shoot for their new merchandise.

Luke stood beside her with his arms crossed over his chest. "I wouldn't dream of puttin' the moves on Freakin' Deacon's girl. That would be bad for my health." He winked at her.

"He would happily beat you to death if he thought that you were tryin' to move in on his territory." She laughed.

Bucky held up his cell from across the room in a sign that Rayna was needed on the phone. "Hey, let's take ten. We need to sort through some business."

"I could use a break." The photographer said.

"What is it, Buck?" Rayna asked.

"It's Tandy and Zach on a conference call. Apparently things got really tense between him and Deacon today and you need to put this fire out personally." Bucky replied.

"That's a cue for me to make myself scarce." Luke took himself for a walk.

"Of course," Rayna took the phone and rolled her eyes. "Hey, y'all what can I do for you?"

She listened intently as her sister and Zach both explained to her what was going on. She nodded her head and shifted her weight from foot to foot as they went on and on. She had to fight the urge to cringe at the idea that Zach was trying to push on them now. Finally, they came to the end of what they had to say to her.

"Zach, it's a good idea that would work, but it's not gonna work at this label. I started this label so, I didn't have to do things like that anymore and I'm not gonna force that on any of my artists either. The subject is closed for discussion and I don't wanna hear another word about it." Rayna shut him down. "Now, I need to get goin' I'm right in the middle of something." She hung up without another word.

She scrolled through Bucky's phone and found Deacon's number. She closed her eyes and prayed that he answered. She had no way of knowing what he would do in the state of mind he was almost certainly in. She sighed when she got his voicemail. "Deacon, it's me. Give me a call back when you get this, babe, I wanna talk." She didn't know how she was going to be able to concentrate on this photo shoot while she was worried about her husband.

* * *

Deacon didn't know why he was where he was at the moment. He just knew that he shouldn't be there and this was probably one of the worst ideas he'd ever had. He knew if he didn't come here and get the answers that he needed he would never be able to truly move on. He put his hand on the door and walked in before he could talk himself out of it.

Frankie was wiping down the bar he looked up with a smile on his face that faded when he saw who had just stepped through the door. "What the hell are you doin' in here? Have you lost your mind? I should call the police on you. I don't know how you're gonna react."

"I really love what you've done with the place." Deacon looked around and he wasn't ashamed of the fact that he was happy to see the bar was practically empty. All the changes he had made and paid for were gone. "You owe me an explanation and I aim to get it. You were supposed to be my friend and you threw me under the bus in court. You were my sponsor and you betrayed my confidence that bond is supposed to be sacred. Then you threw a punch at me and I got blamed for defendin' myself." He sat down on a barstool and dug his heels in.

Frankie straightened up and looked the other man in the eyes. "I'd been runnin' this place for years and I could barely break even most of the time. You came in and all of a sudden you were the savior and Mr. Popular. I was jealous. I couldn't stay on the wagon and make this place a success, but you could do both. When my daughter came to me and needed dirt on you I couldn't help, but oblige. It's good that you came in. I was off the wagon again when that happened. You know the program. I need to make amends with you."

Deacon scoffed and shook his head. "I don't think I can trust that, that will mean much comin' from you. You've already shown the respect you have for the program. I don't care 'bout your hang ups, I care that you came between me and my little girl. Even at my worst I would have never done anythin' like that."

"I'm sincere and sober now. I can't make you believe me, but I can say that I'm sorry for what I did." Frankie offered him his hand. "If it helps I'll let you have your half of the bar back."

Deacon ignored his hand. "I don't want this damn bar back. I got no desire to be in business with you. I just wanted to look you in the eye and hear your reason for turnin' on me. If you could explain why that harpy daughter of yours almost got mine raped that would be great too."

Frankie leaned against the bar. "Much the same reasons I guess. She was jealous of the family she had and her talent. Cash has been workin' the circuit for years and she can never hope to be as successful as I know your girl is gonna be."

"That's right that girl is so damn talented and anythin' she gets will be on her own merit." Deacon stood up. "I'm glad I came here. I needed to see this to know how much better off I am now. If you thought, you were jealous before wait 'til you see what I do next." He walked out the door without waiting for a reply. He took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled very satisfied with himself.

He grabbed his phone when he felt it buzz. "Hey, baby, what's goin' on?' His smile grew wider when he heard his wife's voice.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter I hope you guys enjoyed it. I thought that the whole Frankie and Cash situation needed some resolution, so I gave it. I'm gonna change a lot of things from the disastrous path the show took and make them right from here on out. Until next time please review.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 22

Deacon looked around his dining room at the people he had gathered there and he smiled. Rayna and by extension him had taken charge of these young artists to help them build their careers. To keep them from being taken advantage of in the way that they had been when they were first starting out in the business.

Juliette had already been a star when she'd come to Highway 65, but she was able to rebuild herself from the fragile place she'd been after the birth of her daughter. She and Rayna had thankfully mended fences since she had come back to the label. It didn't matter how many times she screwed up the older woman kept taking her back and giving her another chance whether she deserved it or not.

Avery had become an awesome producer even if most of the artists he worked with ended up running and not releasing their music. He had gained some valuable experience though.

Scarlett and Gunnar were both flourishing under Rayna's guidance even if they couldn't get it together in their personal life professionally they were on fire. Scarlett was different than the scared and timid person she'd been the first time she'd signed with Rayna. Gunnar was coming into his own as a songwriter.

Will was a different artist than he had been with Luke or even with Edgehill. Rayna had pushed him to dig deeper and really tell his story and not just give the world what was on the surface. She fought to get him air time and to have him taken seriously as a country artist even though he was gay.

Deacon's eyes fell on his daughters now. He'd always known that those two were widely talented and he would be the first to tell anyone that.

Maddie had just released her first single and she was finally getting everything she'd wanted since before he'd found out he was her father. She'd grown from a little girl to a young woman almost overnight since he'd come into her life as her dad. He'd understood Rayna's reasoning with wanting her to wait he'd been with her when she was starting out, but she was just like her mother and he knew that she could handle anything this business threw at her. She had been willing to burn every good thing in her life to the ground to get what she wanted. They hadn't listened to her before, but now they were doing everything that they could to make her dreams come true.

Daphne's growth amazed him even more so than Maddie's she too was turning into a young woman. It seemed just like yesterday she had been a little girl now she was into makeup and boys. It was a lot for him to take in sometimes. She also had a voice that was every bit as powerful as her sister's. He could see that she was ready too. She had worked so hard to overcome everything that she had been through lately and he was so proud of the progress she had made since she'd been working with Toby. It reflected in her music.

This record label not only meant everything in the world to Rayna, it was their girls' legacy. They had to do whatever needed to be done to preserve and protect that legacy for them. Zach didn't get to ride in and destroy everything Rayna had worked for years to build.

Deacon cleared his throat and stood up at the head of the table after sharing a look with Tandy. "I asked y'all to come here tonight for a reason other than dinner. We have some things to discuss as a family. That is how Rayna and I think of y'all. This is a family business and when we decide things we do it as a family when it's possible. And we have a decision to make right now 'bout us continuin' to work with Zach."

"What does Rayna think?" Juliette asked. She was trying to be less reactive lately since going with her gut feeling tended to get her in trouble.

"We will get to that in a minute. Rayna wanted to know what y'all thought before she makes her opinion known." Tandy spoke up.

"Zach has some ideas and business practices that go against everythin' that Rayna wants this label to stand for. We have two options on that front we can either break ties with him completely or we can do our best to compromise with him." Deacon picked up again.

"I think these brand partnerships are ridiculous. He's askin' us to go sell ourselves like a streetwalker to highest bidder." Scarlett scoffed.

"I mean she does have a point." Gunnar agreed. He stole a longing glance at her.

"I know I'm just the producer and don't really get a vote, but I think he has good ideas that'll never work at this label." Avery spoke up.

"Your input is heard and welcome." Tandy assured him.

"He's really pushy. He seems to want to run everything." Daphne observed.

"He does like to try to do things the wrong way. He comes to us first without asking mom what she thinks beforehand." Maddie could admit that much.

"There is somethin' 'bout the way he gets when he's not gettin' his own way that ain't right. That ain't no way to run a business as far as I'm concerned." Will leaned back in his chair. He had briefly dated Zach and he didn't like the way he operated at all.

"Let's put it to a vote then. All in favor of cuttin' ties with Zach?" Deacon asked and every hand around the table shot up including his. "That's what I thought he just don't get our brand. Tandy, do the thing you're supposed to do now."

Tandy held up the iPad and waited for Rayna to answer her facetime call.

In just a moment both Rayna and Luke's faces appeared on the screen. Deacon frowned at how close they looked, but he tried to be rational, he knew that there was nothing going on between the pair. Luke may have been on tour with her, but she and Deacon were partners in every sense of the word.

"Hey, y'all. I know that Deacon had the talk with you that I asked him to and that means y'all voted. How did they vote?" Rayna looked at her husband.

"We have voted to dissolve our partnership with Zach Wells. No one here likes his ideas of wants to continue to work with him anymore." Deacon answered her.

"That makes in unanimous then. Luke also doesn't wanna work with him any longer." Rayna nodded her head.

"I don't trust the little punk." Luke chimed in.

"No one does, Luke." Deacon surprisingly agreed with him.

"Ok, the reason that we asked y'all to vote on this is 'cause it will affect us all. We can wait two weeks to cut ties with him and we will be ok. Or we can do it now and it will be a lean couple of weeks. We will be ok financially after that two weeks is up, but before then anyone in the studio will have to pay for their own studio time and for the session players. We might end up working out of the house because the electric may get shut off. I will do the best I can on this end to keep things goin'. I just need us all prepared to make sacrifices and pitch in." Rayna told them.

"I think we can handle that. Between all of us I think we play enough different instruments to put songs down on track and I have a recording studio in my house and I know there is one here." Juliette replied.

"I can produce whatever needs to be produced. We will find a way to survive this." Avery spoke up.

Rayna nodded her head in understanding. "Ok, we will find a way to survive together. Deacon, you have everything you need to speak on my behalf. If he doesn't take no for an answer then you get the lawyers involved. They know to take your word as if it comes from me."

"I've got it, Ray. I don't need instructions." Deacon assured her.

"Alright, y'all, I'll be seein' you in a little while. It was great talkin' to you. It's 'bout time for Luke and I to get on stage." Rayna blew a kiss before she terminated the call.

"Ok, we were all given our marchin' orders. I think it's time we do somethin' 'bout it. I will take care of this tomorrow." Deacon told them.

* * *

"So, do you think Deacon is gonna be able to handle this young punk or are you gonna need to bring in the big guns?" Luke and Rayna were having after show drinks together.

"If he keeps his temper in check he should be able to. Truthfully, it wouldn't be bad if he bared his teeth a little to him, but he just has to not take it too far. He has the lawyers there to back him up." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

"You know if you need it I have considerable resources. I can pay for our studio time. I got outta the business 'cause I just wanna make music. I don't wanna be bogged down with all the borin' details. I have the cash if you need it just say the word." Luke sipped his drink.

"You don't have to do that. That's how I got into this mess I relied on some man to save me. I need to get myself out of this one. I shoulda listened to Deacon when he told me not to take that deal. He was right even if we would have gone under we could have started over together. I just take it for granted that he's the same man that I used to have to prop up. He's not that man anymore he's the man that I fell in love with when I was sixteen before the booze took hold and I told the biggest lie I've ever told in my life. He's been nothin' short of amazin' since my accident." Rayna stared down into her glass.

Luke licked his bottom lip and then bit it. "You should trust Deacon to have your back take from a guy who has got popped one in the mouth by him he can handle it."

Rayna sipped her drink and laughed at him. "He did bust your lip pretty good, but that was tame for him. I've seen worse."

"In his defense I had already suckered punched him the night after I proposed to you at the Bluebird." Luke admitted.

"I didn't know that. Neither one of you ever told me." Rayna frowned at him.

"I wasn't proud of my behavior and I guess Deacon didn't wanna make it seem like he was runnin' to tell on me. He wanted you to choose him 'cause he was the one you wanted. I behaved abhorrently when we were together. I forced you into things you didn't wanna do and I was jealous jackass. Truth told I coulda let Deacon outta that tour, but I did it to keep him away from you and Maddie." Luke thought it was high time that they had this talk.

Rayna shook her head. "I wasn't really fair to you either. I said yes to you to get away from the pain that bein' with him had caused me in the past. I blamed him more than I should have for that accident we got in. I realize now that I was the only person in this world he's ever really been able to count on and I broke his trust. He did the only thing he knew how to do to hurt me as badly as I'd hurt him. I was the one drivin' and tryin' to fight with him at the same time. I should have been payin' attention to what I was doin'." It felt good to clear the air between them. This had been a long time coming.

Luke took another drink and laughed a little. "Hell, tell me somethin' I didn't know. I saw the look on your face the night you showed up to my event with that ring on your finger. You looked like someone was holdin' your feet to the fire. I also saw your face the mornin' you called off the weddin'. You looked relieved like the weight of the world had just been lifted off your shoulders. You didn't just tell me that day that you didn't wanna marry me. You told me every time you said that wasn't what you wanted your life to be like. I shoulda listened to what you were sayin' and not been so damn stubborn. I coulda saved us both a lotta heartache. I shoulda never asked you to marry me the way I did. I didn't give you much of a choice when it came to sayin' yes or no. There was no way you could say no to me when I asked you to marry me in front of seventy thousand people."

"Well, now that you mention it you were kinda pushy. I didn't wanna go public with us when we did and I wasn't a big fan of havin' to plan a weddin' by committee." Rayna made a joke out of it. She finished her drink and signaled for another one.

"I'm man who is used to gettin' my way. I've wanted to be with you since we were startin' out. As sorry as I am for pushin' you too far too fast I'm even sorrier for what I did to Deacon. We were supposed to be friends and I put the moves on his girl. That's a big no-no in bro code. Not only did I move in on his territory, but I behaved like a jerk when I found out that Maddie is his daughter." Luke ordered another drink as well.

"I didn't handle that situation the best either. He just recently got custody of his own daughter. I made him keep it a secret and I made him go on tv to take the blame for somethin' I did. I don't know why he wants to be married to me." Rayna shrugged her shoulders.

Luke pushed her drink over to her and took his. "We're friends here and I can be honest with you, right?"

"Of course," Rayna took a long swallow of her drink.

"You're lucky that he loves you the way he does. If it were me in that situation I would have burned you to the ground. I woulda had full custody of that girl and I woulda made damn sure that Teddy never got near her again. He's a much better man than I am that way." Luke gave her honest opinion.

"You haven't spent your whole life havin' people convince you that you will never be good enough for anyone. That's part of it and the other part of it is he would never want to do anythin' that could hurt me. I want my girls to find someone to love them the way their daddy loves me." Rayna could admit just how wrong she'd been.

Luke let out a small chuckle. "How come we never talked like this when we were together?"

"That's simple I was a prize to you and you were an escape for me. We barely scratched the surface." Rayna told him bluntly.

Luke raised his glass in a toast. "Here's to us bein' friends and diggin' a little deeper. And to you keepin' your husband from knockin' my head off when he sees those promo photos we did."

Rayna clicked glasses with him. "I'll calm him down don't you worry." She winked at him playfully.

* * *

Deacon sat in the music room playing his guitar. It helped to calm him and put him at ease. He was still reeling from the argument he'd had with Maddie earlier. He wondered if she was always going to see him as some rage filled monster hell bent on destroying her happiness. That wasn't how he meant to come across at all he was only trying to protect his little girl the best way he knew how.

Maddie came in and sat down beside him. "What are you doing, dad?"

"I'm just playin' guitar. I wouldn't want to embarrass you or anythin'." Deacon grunted.

"Dad, please don't be like that. You were right earlier I did get up in court and lie. I know that you would never hurt me. I let someone I barely knew tell me how you were when I knew different. All I could see was you and mom were standing in the way of me getting what I wanted." Maddie tried to open up to him.

"Do you know why what you said on that stand was such a big deal?" Deacon asked her.

"I know from mom that you didn't have the best childhood, but she doesn't ever really say more than that. She just says it's your story and you'll have to tell me when you're ready." Maddie shrugged her shoulders.

Deacon sat his guitar done and took a deep breath. Maddie was seventeen now and that made her old enough to finally hear the dark part of his past that he'd been keeping from her since he found out he was her father. "To understand why what you said was such a big deal you need to know where I came from."

"I know that you're from Natchez and that's where you and Aunt Bev grew up. That's about all I know." Maddie replied.

"It's not so much where I came from, but how I grew up that's more important to this conversation. It ain't somethin' that's gonna be easy for you to understand. You grew up here in this house with all this." Deacon gestured around the room.

"We are very fortunate." Maddie nodded her head.

"Growin' up I could have never dreamed of livin' in a place like this. I couldn't even have dreamed of bein' able to walk around this neighborhood. I was poor so poor that sometimes it came down to puttin' food on the table or keepin' the lights on. We lived in this ratty little trailer. My momma worked her ass off in this little diner for peanuts. My old man couldn't keep a job 'cause he was a drunk. He wasn't just a drunk he was a mean drunk. He would beat on me, my momma, and sister. It could be somethin' as simple as he didn't like what she made for dinner. He wasn't always like that there would be stretches where he would be clean and sober and holdin' a job and things were wonderful, but when things got bad they were bad." Deacon rubbed his hands together.

"Dad, I don't know what to say." Maddie looked concerned.

Deacon held up his hand in a sign for her to let him talk. "I vowed to myself that I would never be like him. I wasn't gonna let myself do to my family what he did to us. That was part of the reason why I fell off the wagon when I found out that your momma lied to me 'bout you. It made me feel like I had turned into my daddy even though I'd fought my life not to be anythin' like him. I felt the same way when you got up on that stand and said what you said." Deacon looked down at the floor.

Maddie threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "I'm so sorry, dad. I had no idea everything you'd been through. I'm not scared of you. I feel safe when I'm with you. I know that you'd never do anything to hurt me, mom, or Daphne. I get that everything you do is to protect us. Even though I was the biggest brat in the world to you and I used the fact that mom didn't tell you about me against you, you were still there to save me when I needed you the most." She let out a huge hiccupping sob.

Deacon wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh, it's ok, you're ok. You didn't know. There was no way that you coulda known. I kept it from ya 'cause I didn't know how to tell someone as beautiful and innocent as you 'bout somethin' so ugly. I just hate that you used those deeply private and embarrassin' things against me. I know it wasn't you talkin'. I just really wish you woulda thought for yourself and not let yourself be led 'round by someone who just wanted to use your talent to make a name for herself."

"I feel horrible about it. I made you think that I don't love you or I don't think of you as my dad. I didn't drag Teddy through the mud like that and he's in prison. I regret doing that to you and mom and I regret not being there in the hospital when mom had her accident. She almost died and I couldn't be bothered to spend what could have been her last waking moments with her. I'm a selfish spoiled brat and all because I want things my way and I want them right away. I did it again today when I was in that meeting with Zach. He doesn't want what's best for any of us he just wants to take advantage. You were only trying to protect me." Maddie cried into his shoulder.

"You're a teenager it's your job to push the boundaries and be a brat. I want you to know that there is nothin' you could ever say or do that would make me stop lovin' ya. You never have to be scared of me. I would die before I did anythin' to hurt you, your momma, or your sister. The greatest job I have in the world is bein' y'all's daddy and her husband. Anythin' else I am besides that don't matter to me nearly as much. You are a lot like your momma and she understands you better than you think she does." Deacon lifted her head and wiped her tears away.

"It's not ok though, dad. I don't wanna be just another person in your life who you love and does nothing, but hurt you." Maddie was for the first time truly repentant for what she had done to him in that courtroom.

"I don't see you that way at all. And I don't want you to pity me either. Everythin' I've gone through in my life led me to here and I wouldn't trade away one of those bad moments if it meant I had to miss out on this. I can't bare to think what my life would be like without my four girls in it." Deacon smiled and kissed her forehead.

Maddie hugged him tighter. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, baby girl." Deacon replied.

* * *

"Zach, we need to have a word." Deacon walked into the conference room where Zach was working with his staff.

"Deacon, what do you need? I'm a little busy here." Zach looked up at him in annoyance.

"I need to have a very important talk with you and I think you're gonna wanna do it in private." Deacon retorted.

Zach gestured for his staff to leave. He didn't speak until they were gone. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to inform you that we are terminatin' our partnership with you. Things just aren't workin' out and we are no longer interested in havin' you in our business. The contract you and Rayna signed stipulates that either party can terminate this partnership at any time and that is what we're doin'." Deacon told him bluntly. It was taking everything he had in him to be that professional.

"You won't survive without me. If it weren't for me then this label wouldn't still be in business. How do I know that this isn't something that you cooked up? I want to hear this from Rayna." Zach retorted.

"You can take this as if it came from Rayna. I am her husband and I have every right to have this conversation on her behalf. You tryin' to make this label into somethin' we aren't interested in it bein'. It's so far from Rayna's vision that it isn't funny. So, you are no longer welcome here. We will sink or swim on our own." Deacon stared him down.

Zach pushed his chair back from the table violently and stood up. "I will make you regret this. I am the one bankrolling this label right now. I will hold this label down with my foot on it's throat until you're begging for mercy."

"Zach, I'm the last person you want to threaten right now. I will bring the full weight of my power in this town down on you and you don't want that. Let's just end things now and go our separate ways. This ain't workin' out and there's no need to drag it out any longer. It's time to walk away." Deacon spoke through clenched teeth.

"You don't want to make an enemy out of me. I will dismantle this label piece by piece and I will watch while you squirm." Zach shot back.

"We will just see 'bout that. Right now I want you to take your little hipster friends and get the fuck outta our offices." Deacon laid down the law.

Zach gathered up his things. "Don't think that this will be the last you hear from me. I'm not finished with you by a long shot."

"I invite you to try. Rayna and I are always up for a good fight." Deacon made sure to get in the last word.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Here is where I'm really going to start taking things in a different direction than the show did and I'm going to attempt to fix the mess they made. If there is any specific change to any story line you want to see let me know and I will try to work it in. Until next time please review.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 23

Rayna was careful to mind her step as she walked up the gravel covered pathway that led up to the charming little log cabin nestled back in the woods. The last thing she wanted to do was fall and set her recovery back yet again. She was doing well and she wanted to keep it that way. She held on to the railing as she stepped up on the front porch. She rapped on the front door with her knuckles.

It took a moment, but finally the door was opened by a woman wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. "I'm really surprised you're here. I'd ask how you found out where I live, but you're you and you can figure out anythin'."

"It's good to see you too, Sadie." Rayna smiled at her.

Sadie laughed. "Where, are my manners? Of course, it's great to see you, come on in. I just made some tea. Have a seat and make yourself at home while I go get it." She led her into the living room.

"It'll be good to put my feet up after I was in that truck for an hour." Rayna helped herself to a seat.

Sadie left her there for a moment before she came back with two mugs of hot tea. She handed one to Rayna. "I really am surprised to see you. I'm glad to see you too. Not that you would know that from the way I left town and then never called you back."

"It's ok. You were goin' through somethin'. You needed time to process that and I completely understand it." Rayna reassured her.

"No, really, I'm glad that you're ok. That should have been the first thing I said when I opened the door to you. I was just so surprised to see you on my doorstep. Hell, I should have called you to let you know I was prayin' for you. I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone." Sadie sipped her tea slowly.

"Thank you for sayin' that. And again it's ok. I know that you have a life and you can't drop everythin' just 'cause I had a little run of bad luck." Rayna reassured her.

"I don't have to keep hidin' out up here either." Sadie replied.

"You are a hard woman to get ahold of. Finally, I had to call your parents. Your momma told me that you've been givin' music lessons out of this cabin.

"It's all I've been able to bring myself to do. And it took me a long time to get to this point. After everythin' that happened with Pete back in Nashville I had to get my mind right." Sadie told her.

"I understand that. Pete, he took a lot from you. He shouldn't get to take the thing that brings you the most joy in the world away too." Rayna arched her eyebrow at her.

"I guess this is the part where we get to the reason for this visit." Sadie leaned forward and sat her mug down on the antique coffee table.

"It is." Rayna took a sip of her tea. "I want you to come back to Nashville, finish up your album, and come out on tour with me and Luke. You've had your time to reflect and now it's time to get back up on the horse. And before you give me the reasons why you can't, let me tell you why you should. Like I said before Pete already took too much from you don't let him take your career too. You have way too much talent to waste it just givin' music lessons or writin' songs for other people. You could have a really great career and you owe it to yourself to try."

"Rayna, I don't even know what to say. I don't know that I would know how to finish that album." Sadie shrugged her shoulders.

Rayna gave her a patient look she honed from years of being a mother. "Sadie, you're an artist and I know how we deal with things. We write 'bout it. I'm sure that you have more than a song or two that you could put on that album. I'm really not gonna take no for answer. You were hot when you walked away and I'm sure that you could get that momentum back."

Sadie let out a dry chuckle. "I think I've been up in these woods too long. I almost forgot how you got me to sign with you over Edgehill to begin with. It was a good decision and I never once regretted it."

A thin smirk played on Rayna's lips. "Does that mean you'll come back to Nashville?" She asked hopefully.

"There's a bag packed in my bedroom that I've been tryin' to work up the courage to pick up and walk out the door with for the last six months. You just gave me the push I needed to do it." Sadie admitted.

"I knew that you would see things my way." Rayna's smile made her eyes sparkle.

"You are a hard woman to say no to." Sadie smiled back.

"You're lucky. Luke was going to give talking to you a try next." Rayna joked with her.

"I doubt he could have handled this as well as you did." Sadie laughed.

"Alright, I have to get back for the show tonight. Lord knows that I'm probably gonna give Bucky a heart attack for runnin' off the way I did and not tellin' him where I was goin'." Rayna stood up.

"I'm comin' with you. If I don't just leave then I will have a chance to talk myself out of it." Sadie went to grab her bag.

"Great, you can drive. I'm a little sore and I need to rest. I will also send a text to Deacon and tell him that you're gonna be comin' to see him when you get into town." Rayna told her. She took her bottle of pain pills out of her purse and took two of them.

"So, I'm actually gonna get to work with Deacon this time around? That excites me. You know I love you, but that husband of yours is one of the best songwriters in the business." Sadie watched her take her pills.

"Don't look at me like that. I promise you I'm fine. I'm just sore and I need to take the edge off." Rayna promised her. "Tell me somethin' I don't know about my husband. He is a great songwriter and I'm lucky enough to have him as a partner."

"I guess we should get this show on the road then." Sadie

"Yeah, we don't wanna be late." Rayna agreed with her.

* * *

Deacon was at his desk working on his computer when the lights went out. He looked up and frowned. "What the hell is goin' on?"

Tandy stormed into the office. "That son of a bitch shut the lights off. I don't know how, because I paid that bill myself."

Deacon took a deep breath. "This is how he wants to play this. He's actin' just like a damn toddler who didn't get his fuckin' way."

"What do you wanna do?" Tandy asked him.

"I need to find a place where everyone can work. I can't do it at my place there's no way I could fit everyone in there. And I don't think Rayna would want me to do it at the house." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"They can't work in these conditions." Tandy pointed out to him.

"I know that, Tandy. Just like we knew this could be bad. Like I said he's throwin' a tantrum 'cause he didn't get his way. Let me think on it for a minute I'm sure that I know someone who can help out." Deacon replied.

"Don't take too long. We have to go get things set up. If we don't transition smoothly then we will have problems." Tandy stressed.

"I hear ya, Tandy, I really do." Deacon sighed.

Bucky walked in without bothering to knock. "I don't think why I want to know why the lights are off, so I won't ask right now. I'm in town today to do some business while Ray has a travel day and I brought Sadie back to help her get settled in. I got a call just now and that's why I'm stopping by here."

"What's goin' on, Buck?" Deacon asked the other man.

"They want you to play the Opry." Bucky replied.

"Sure, I'll lead the house band if they need someone to fill in for them. They know that they can always call me." Deacon agreed readily.

Bucky shook his head. "Deacon, you misunderstood. They want you to make your Opry debut. They want you to perform the day after tomorrow. Even though it hasn't really been promoted properly thanks to Zach, your duet album is hot. Do you need me to tell you what Ray would say if she knew about this?"

"Buck, I'm in tell them that I'll do it. I'm only sorry she's gonna be on the road when I do this. I was there with her, her first time and I wish she'd be here for mine. I get why she can't be though." Deacon replied.

"I will make that call. Now, I said I wasn't gonna ask, but I have to know. Why are the lights out?" Bucky asked.

"Zach had them shut off 'cause I told him we are cuttin' ties with him." Deacon snorted.

"Ok, y'all are gonna do something to handle that, right?" Bucky looked to Tandy for that answer.

"It is in the process of being handled, Buck. You know that Deacon always knows a guy." Tandy's words were reassuring, but the look on her face said otherwise.

"I will let Ray know what's going on here when I talk to her. I'm nervous letting her travel without me for the day. I don't know what she'll do without me right there. Toby asked me to keep an eye on her and report back to him if I think she needs any help. He doesn't know her the way I do. I think she's well her way to being back to herself, that's why I'm nervous about leaving her alone without me." Bucky rambled. He was under a lot of stress from the whole situation.

"The situation will be taken care of. I have texts out to some of my people and I wouldn't be surprised if I had a place to go within the hour. I thought he may try somethin' like this. And I wanted to be prepared." Deacon assured him.

"You've had a plan this whole time and you let me think you didn't?" Tandy's jaw hung open.

Deacon shrugged. "You told me to do somethin'. You never asked if I'd already done somethin'." He did his best to hide a smirk. "Buck, your office is waitin' on ya. I know you're keepin' an eye on Ray right now, but your job is still here."

Tandy just glowered at him.

Bucky smiled. "I'm so glad to hear that. I didn't wanna quit, but he left me with no other choice."

"Truthfully, we should have cut ties with him then and there. My head was in a fog and I didn't know which way was up then. You deserved better than that. You've always taken care of Ray and me. I shoulda stood by you." Deacon apologized.

"Deacon, don't worry about it. You were doing what we both do best. You were taking care of Rayna." Bucky smiled at him to let him know it was ok.

Jessie knocked on the doorjamb to Deacon's office. "I'm not coming by at a bad time am I?"

"You're comin' at the perfect time if you have some good news for me." Deacon replied warmly.

"I do have good news for you. I have a listing that I think would be perfect. It used to be a huge bar. The electric is still on at least. You can work out of there as long as you need." Jessie replied.

"Thanks, that's great. How soon can we get in there?" Deacon asked.

"I came here to bring you the keys. You can't very well run a business if you don't have electricity." Jessie smiled at him.

Deacon gave her one of his easy grins. "No I can't. I ain't much good at it runnin' on all cylinders. I need all the help I can get and then some." He took the keys from her.

Tandy shot a look in Bucky's direction. She didn't at all care for how comfortable the younger woman was around her brother-in-law. "Deacon, you should start getting the staff moved over to the location. I have things to take care of."

Deacon cleared his throat. "Right, I'll get on that now. I trust that you're gonna talk to the lawyers 'bout this and get them to do somethin' 'bout that little twerp?"

"That was my plan." Tandy crossed her arms over her chest.

"Deacon, how about I take you over there and help you get settled in?" Jessie suggested.

"That'd be great." Deacon flashed a smile in her direction.

Tandy took her leave and gestured for Bucky to follow after her.

"She doesn't seem to like me very much." Jessie commented.

Deacon grabbed the keys to his truck and his laptop. "You can't take Tandy personally. She don't like me much and she's that critical of everyone."

* * *

Deacon got everyone set up in the new space fairly quickly. He left Tandy to the running of the business while he dealt with the lawyers and then got ready for his show at the Opry. He was handling it all amazingly even though if asked he would say that he was just a simple guitar player and he didn't know how to handle much more than that. Nothing could be farther from the truth than that.

He had excelled during his time running Highway 65 and no one could say any different. He had more than proven that he was no longer the man he used to be. He had finally become the man Rayna had always seen him as and always knew he could be. He had spent the day dealing with the lawyers trying to get them to do something about Zach closing their accounts and taking money that wasn't his to touch.

He checked his watch and knew that he had to get home to make it to the Opry on time. He really didn't need five hours to get ready, but he knew that it would take his daughters that long if not longer to be ready to go. He didn't pretend to know why getting ready to go somewhere took them both so long. He just knew that they most likely had inherited that less than desirable trait from their mother.

He walked out of the building and he was surprised to see Jessie sitting out in her car waiting for him.

"Jessie, what are you doin' here? I'd love to talk, but I don't really have time right now. I need to give the girls a jump start." Deacon took his keys out of his pocket.

"Deacon, get in the car." Jessie leaned over and opened the passenger side door.

"I'm serious, I really don't have time right now. If I don't home and make sure that my girls are gettin' ready everyone is gonna be late and tonight is not a night where I can be late." Deacon shook his head stubbornly.

"I promise that I will have you back in plenty of time to get ready and to help your girls get ready. I need you to trust me for a minute." Jessie tried talking some sense into him.

"I'm on a tight schedule today." Deacon replied.

"Just get in. This is something you need." Jessie told him.

Deacon sighed and got in the car. He looked at her with an arched eyebrow when he heard the doors lock. "This had better be good."

"I promise that it will be. Over the last few months I've watched you do everything in your power to take care of Rayna, your girls, and the label. When is the last time you did something for you?" Jessie drove them to a park.

"I don't know. I've been so wrapped up in everythin' that's been goin' on I ain't had time to think 'bout myself. The most important thing has been takin' care of my three girls and keepin' the label runnin'." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"Exactly," Jessie smirked at him.

"What are we doin' here, Jessie?" Deacon took a look around.

"You are spendin' some time alone 'cause you need it before you get burnt out. Now get out and come back when you're relaxed. I will be right here waiting for you." Jessie banished him from the car.

Deacon grumbled and got out of the car. He got out and started walking until he found a peaceful place by the water. He was always his most at peace when he went up to the cabin and sat on the porch just looking at the lake. He laid back with his hands behind his head fingers laced together. For the first time he let himself feel everything that he had been keeping at bay just to be able to get through one more day. In the program they stressed one day at a time, but he has been taking it one minute at a time. He was up to an hour at a time, but he hadn't seen one day at a time since before Rayna's accident.

He didn't even realize that he was crying until he felt the moisture slipping down his face. Every feeling he'd been having for the past few months had finally caught up to him. It hurt to breathe when he thought about how close he'd come to losing the only woman he would ever love. It was hard enough being separated from her while she was out on tour, but when the doctors had told him there was a good chance she would never wake up that was another matter entirely.

He'd sat constant vigil beside her bed afraid that if he left he would never see his wife alive again. He'd never been so happy to see her open her eyes as he was when she came out of her coma. Since the moment she'd woke up his thoughts had been centered on her and their daughters. He hadn't really given his feelings and what he needed a second thought and now he was feeling every ounce of what he had repressed over the months.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had been to a meeting. That was pretty good proof that he was solidly on the wagon and he didn't have to worry about falling off. He just let himself cry and feel his feelings until he could regain his composure. He wiped the tears from his face and went back to Jessie's car.

Jessie looked up from the book she was reading when she heard him knock on the window. She rolled down the passenger side window and arched her eyebrow. "Did you figure out what you needed to?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, now I really need to go back to the house and get ready for tonight." Deacon tried to open the door, but found it still locked.

"Ok, I guess I can let you get in the car then." Jessie finally unlocked the door and let him get in the car.

"It's 'bout damn time." Deacon grumbled and got in the car. "I also have somethin' to talk to you 'bout." He had figured out the next steps he wanted to take with his life and with his career.

* * *

Deacon walked into the Opry with an arm around each of his daughters. This was a bittersweet moment for him. He never thought in a million years that he would be called on to play the Opry solo, but the dark cloud of Rayna not being there made it a little sad for him. They had always hit the major milestones in their careers together. He had talked to her before he left and he planned on calling her again before he went on stage.

"Dad, you're kind of a big deal tonight, I hope you know that." Maddie teased him.

"Yeah, dad, what Maddie said." Daphne agreed.

"I think ya'll need to quit givin' your daddy a hard time and just be a joy and blessing to me like good daughters should." Deacon shook his head and laughed at them. He was so good with them it was almost like he was born to be a father to daughters.

"That's no fun, we much rather give you a hard time." Maddie laughed.

Deacon stopped in front of the dressing room door that said Welcome to the Circle. He reached up and touched the sign. "Wow, it feels like it was such a long time ago that I was standin' here with your momma the first time she played here. Now it's my turn and that is unreal to me."

"You're gonna do great, dad." Daphne kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, sweetheart, at least one of you likes bein' nice to me." Deacon went into the dressing room.

"Dad, who is sending you flowers?" Maddie took the card off a vase of flowers sitting on the vanity.

"Read it out loud, Maddie." Daphne egged her on.

"I take back what I said a minute ago." Deacon rolled his eyes. Those girls never got tired of teasing him.

"You've got this. You've been waiting for this your whole life. If you need me just look over at the side of the stage and I'll be there." Maddie read the card and looked confused.

"Who sends a cryptic card like that?" Daphne looked confused.

A smile lit Deacon's face he knew exactly who had sent them and what the words meant. "I know who those are from."

"Who?" Maddie asked.

"Don't worry 'bout it. A man is allowed to have a few secrets from the women in his life." Deacon winked at her.

Maddie just rolled her eyes. "Come on, Daph. Let's go explore while the man gets ready."

"I'm coming." Daphne laughed and walked off with her sister.

Deacon took his phone out of his pocket and he made a call. He frowned when it went to voicemail. "Hey, baby, it's me. I got the flowers you sent and that was real cute." He laughed a little. "I was just callin' you 'fore I went on like I said I would. I guess I called you while you're busy or somethin'. I try callin' again later. I love you and I can't wait 'til I get to see ya again."

Bucky stuck his head in the door. "Hey, it's almost time for you to go on. You better get moving."

"Thanks, Buck, I'll be out in just a minute." Deacon smiled. He gave himself a once over in the mirror before he walked out. He had time to hug both his daughters before he went on stage.

Rayna walked over and put her arms around her daughters. "I can't believe your dad thought I wouldn't be here for this."

"He has no idea that you're even in town." Maddie leaned into her mother's side.

"He's been too busy dealing with the mess that Zach made to have time to know where you are." Daphne replied.

"I'm here now for a couple days and I will take care of everythin'. Right now I just wanna watch him and enjoy this. I've wanted this for him for so long." Rayna kissed each of her daughter's heads. She was content to stay back out of the spotlight. She wanted Deacon to have this time to shine. She knew that he wouldn't mind sharing it with her one little bit, he never had. He had been that way their entire career and tonight was about him. This about him becoming the man she always knew he could be. She wanted everyone else to hear him and find out first hand what an amazing front man he was. She wanted everyone to see him the way she always had.

She frowned when she looked over and saw Jessie standing at the side of the stage staring at Deacon like he was the hottest man on the face of the earth. Of course, Rayna had always thought he was and she couldn't deny that he had had his share of groupies during the years they weren't together. That didn't mean she wanted any other women looking at him like that now. She trusted him more than she could put into words, but she went back and forth about whether she could trust Jessie or not. Part of her felt sorry for her, but there was another part of her that afraid she was going to try to take her husband away.

Rayna focused her attention back on Deacon when he started talking on the stage.

"This is a song I wrote a long time ago 'bout losin' the best thing that ever happened to me and how I felt without her. This one is for Rayna." Deacon started to strum his guitar.

Rayna's ears perked up when he said that. He'd long been guarded with the songs he wrote when they weren't together. They had both done their best not to blur any lines or make things more difficult than they already were.

" _Between the steeples and the dirt, the wheat fields and the empty church. There's hard times just gettin' by. Better pray for a run of luck before the sun and my hopes get up and I'm just tough enough to try."_ Deacon closed his eyes and let himself feel the music.

" _Well it's been dry like the county line. It seems like everythin' movin' is leavin' town. Now I'm all alone hopin' she'll come home. It's like waitin' on good rain or Jesus to come down."_

Rayna hung onto every word that he sang. She knew that them being apart had been harder on him than her, but she never dreamed he struggled this much.

" _I said something's gotta change so they widened up the old two lane. Just the same she's gone. It might take an act of God, but I'm bettin' everythin' I got she'll turn around and come home. Well it's been dry like the county line. It seems like everythin' movin' is leavin' town. Now I'm all alone hopin' she'll come home. It's like waitin' on good rain or Jesus to come down."_

Rayna was floored. Tears filled her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. She knew he loved her and had never truly given up on her, but hearing it raw and straight from the source was a different matter entirely. She could tell that this had been written at a time when the pain was still fresh and right at the surface for him.

" _So come on good rain. Come on Jesus. I'll make it ok. 'Cause tomorrow don't mean nothin' if she's not here. She's everythin', she's everythin'."_ He got to his feet and wailed. He looked over and saw Zach standing there with a scowl on his face. He looked away quickly he wasn't going to let him ruin this for him. He played a bluesy riff on his guitar.

" _Well, it's been dry like the county line. It seems like everythin' movin' is leavin' town. I'm all alone hopin' she'll come home. It's like waitin' for good rain or Jesus to come down. It's like waitin' on good rain or Jesus to come down. Well, come on down to the lonely town."_

" _I said come on down. Come on Jesus, come on down. Come on Jesus come on down. Well come on down. Well come on down. Well come on down this lonely town. Waitin' on good rain good rain. A whole lotta good rain, good rain. Waitin' on Jesus to come down."_

Deacon stood there under the spotlight after he was done and just soaked it all in. He took a deep ragged breath when he saw the whole audience get to their feet. He smiled and his eyes clouded over with a film of tears. After all these years he'd finally made it.

He exited the stage before his emotions got the better of him.

"Deacon, that was incredible." Jessie met him.

Deacon looked over her shoulder and saw Rayna standing with the girls. A huge smile lit his face that made his eyes sparkle. "Thanks, Jessie, excuse me for just a minute." He walked towards Rayna.

Rayna walked toward Deacon and they met in the middle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply and a little possessively.

Deacon laughed happily. "Ray, you made it. I didn't think you were gonna be able to be here 'til tomorrow."

Rayna brushed her fingers over his cheek lovingly. "There wasn't anywhere that I needed to be that was more important than me bein' here for you tonight. I'm so proud of you, babe. I wouldn't have missed this for anythin' in the world."

"I love you so much, babe." Deacon kissed her again.

"I love you too. I'm happy to see that you haven't replaced me with that little girlfriend of yours." Rayna said after she had pulled away from him.

"Ray, you know that you're the only one for me. That's a promise you can take to the bank." Deacon took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"You're right, let's go make the most of the forty-eight hours I have at home before I'm back on the road again." Rayna flashed him a flirtatious smile.

"Have mercy," Deacon growled and he smirked. He still wanted her just as badly as he did the first time he'd laid eyes on her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry for the long wait. I made it a little longer than usual to make up for it. There's a lot going on this chapter to set up for later on in this story. What does Deacon have up his sleeve for his career that he wants to talk to Jessie about? Where does Sadie fit in to all this? I thought it was time for her to come back in. Now that Zach has shown his true colors how much trouble is that going to cause? I promise that you will find out and it's going to be good. Until next time please review.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

Songlist: The song used in this chapter is Heart Like a Wheel by Eric Church

* * *

Chapter 24

"So this is the place you've been workin' out of the last couple days?" Rayna looked around the building that Deacon had managed to get for temporary Highway 65 offices.

"This is it, babe. I had a reason for bringin' you here." Deacon rubbed his hands together nervously.

Rayna took note of the way he was acting. "Babe, you can tell me anythin' you know that. Don't be nervous."

"I wanna buy this property and open up my own place again." Deacon took her hand and stared into her eyes.

"Sweetheart, if this is somethin' you need to do I will support you. I don't know how we will pay for it yet, but we will figure somethin' out we always do." Rayna couldn't do anything, but be supportive of him after how wonderful he'd been the last few months.

Deacon smiled. "I know how we are gonna pay for it. I'm gettin' a great deal on this property, plus I'm gettin' the money back that I put into the Beverly. I'm takin' Frankie to court. I decided that I ain't gonna take this layin' down anymore."

Rayna chewed on her bottom lip apprehensively. "Good for you. I just don't want you to reopen any painful wounds, but I am glad you're standin' up for yourself. This place is really big, what did you have in mind for it?"

"Well, I thought with this bein' so big I could get a two for the price of one thing goin'. One side would be the bar and performance space and on the other side there would be a recordin' studio. I mean it would save us a ton of money when it comes to studio time. It would give us somethin' that not everyone else has. And it could be somethin' that's mine that no one else can take from me." Deacon laid out his vision for the place.

Rayna's grin spread across her face. "I think that's a damn fine idea. Do I wanna know how much this is gonna cost us?"

"It's not gonna cost us nothin'. I have the money put back to buy it with. And like I told you I'm gettin' my money back from Frankie with interest. Don't you worry your pretty little head none, darlin'." Deacon winked at her.

Rayna took his face in her hands. "You don't have to do this on your own. I am here I am your partner. I know that I wasn't supportive of you last time you did this, but I'm in this time. You've shown me you're a different man than the one I used to have to pick up off the floor drunk."

He rubbed his nose against hers. "I know you want to help, but right this minute you can't. I need to do this on my own so I can say I have somethin' that's mine." He pecked her lips.

She nodded her head. "I understand that. When I started the label I wanted to do as much as I could on my own." She ran her hands up and down his back and started kissing on his neck.

"I see you're tryin' to help me break this place in already and I don't even have the keys for it yet." He chuckled in the back of his throat. That didn't stop him from pulling her closer and pressing his body against hers.

"I don't wanna interrupt anything, but I don't wanna see something I shouldn't either." Jessie walked in.

Rayna groaned and rolled her eyes. The younger woman was getting in the habit of being everywhere her husband was and quite frankly it was annoying as hell. "Jessie, what are you doin' here?" She wasn't trying to be rude, but she wanted to know why she seemed to follow Deacon around like a little lap dog.

Jessie shrank back under Rayna's intense gaze. "I'm Deacon's realtor and I'm just here to give him the keys to this place."

"They accepted the offer? I thought for sure that I was gonna have to go higher to get 'em to take it." Deacon smiled happily. This was the next chapter of his career and he was excited to get started.

"They were more than happy to take the offer. This place has been vacant for a long time." Jessie replied with a flirty smile. She couldn't help herself.

"That's great. Thanks for gettin' back to me so quickly." Deacon smiled back just to be polite.

Rayna stared daggers at the back of her husband's head. She was going to kill him the minute she got him alone. She knew that she didn't really have to worry about him, but she was going to put him in check just in case. "Well, that was real nice of you to bring 'em by. I think Deacon is gonna wanna spend the rest of the day tellin' me what he's gonna do with the place before we have to be at a charity thing tonight." That was her way of telling the blonde to get lost in a hurry without saying those words.

"I will get outta your hair then. I have some place I have to be tonight too." Jessie excused herself quickly.

Deacon looked at his wife with an arched eyebrow. "You wanna tell me what that was all 'bout?" he knew that there was something there. He could read her like an open book.

"That was nothin', Deacon. I'm just tired and in pain. I wanna get home and take a pill before we have to be at this thing tonight. Remind me the next time I wanna double book myself like this that it's not a good idea at all." Rayna covered quickly. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was jealous of another woman, he would only tease her about it mercilessly.

Deacon put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, so he could hide the smile he felt forming. He knew that she had a bee in her bonnet about Jessie, but if she wanted to play it off, then that's what they'd do until she felt like giving him hell for it. "Whatever you say, darlin'. Let's get you home then. You know as well as I do that I can't tell you nothin' when you think somethin' is a good idea. You don't listen to me and you're gonna do what you wanna do anyway."

Rayna wrapped her arms around his midsection and slapped his side playfully. "Boy, you better watch yourself. Take me home now, so you can have your way with me." She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes.

"I ain't gonna argue with that." Deacon put the keys in his pocket and ushered her out to the truck.

* * *

Zach walked into Brad Maitland's office and sat down across from him.

"Mr. Wells, what can I do for you?" Brad had his usual smarmy smirk on his face.

"I'm looking to stay in the music business and I want to crush Highway Sixty-five." Zach replied casually.

"That's Rayna Jaymes' label. I think she does a pretty good job of sabotaging herself she doesn't need any help. She's an extremely talented artist, but she sucks at business. She has a tendency to shoot herself in the foot. How many contracts has she just let people out of?" Brad leaned back in his chair.

"Right now that's not a problem for her. She has a successful tour with Luke Wheeler and a new album on the market. Not to mention she still has all kind of good will from almost dying in that car accident. She would have to really implode to go down in flames this time. She always seems to bounce back no matter how dark things look for her." Zach retorted.

"I don't see exactly how I can help you." Brad replied.

"I want back in the game. I have money and considerable resources. I want to partner with you the way I was partnered with Rayna before her hothead husband convinced her to force me out. I don't know how long she's going to let Deacon Claybourne drag her down." Zach told him.

"Truthfully, I don't need any help. Things are going just fine for me. I don't need any investors or silent partners." Brad shot down that idea quickly.

"Not even if I have insider information on another label?" Zach wasn't above corporate espionage if it meant he got his way.

Brad laced his fingers together behind his head. "That little vanity project is no threat to me. I have no reason to worry about them. Like I said the woman has absolutely no business sense. I'm just not interested in giving up any control of my company."

"I'm a good person to have on your side." Zach argued.

"Mr. Wells, I'm just not interested in anything you have to offer me. You have a good day now." Brad excused him without really telling him to get lost.

Zach got up and let himself out.

* * *

"Babe, the next time I decide that it's a good idea to pack my schedule like this stop me. Even if I fight you, it's for my own good." Rayna leaned across the table and whispered to her husband.

Deacon leaned next to her and smiled. "Darlin', we just went through this earlier. You don't listen to me even when you should." He stole a kiss from her.

"You're lucky you're cute and I love you or I would smack you." Rayna mumbled against his lips.

"I know how damn lucky I am, you ain't gotta tell me." Deacon replied.

Rayna played with the hair on the back of his neck. "I feel very lucky to be the woman here on your arm."

Deacon took her free hand and laced their fingers together. "You know that you're the only woman I have eyes for, right? You ain't said it, but I can tell it bothers you that I talk to Jessie."

"I trust you, but at the same time I know that you like younger women. I ain't as young as I used to be." Rayna sighed a little.

"Every time I look at you I see the sixteen-year-old girl I first fell in love with. You have nothin' to worry 'bout. I will tell you that every day as many times as you need me to if it makes you feel better." Deacon kissed her softly.

"All I need is you by my side." Rayna rubbed her nose against his. "I am gonna go freshen up before I have to get up on stage. You gonna be ok by yourself for a minute?"

"I will be fine and I will be waitin' right here for you." Deacon winked at her.

No sooner had Rayna walked away than Jessie walked over to the table. "I didn't know that you were gonna be here tonight." She greeted Deacon.

"Rayna, is very involved in this charity. What are you doin' here?" Deacon asked. He couldn't quite explain how it was that Jessie popped up wherever he was these days.

"I'm set to preform tonight. It's one of the first gigs I've gotten since I got back on the horse." Jessie answered him.

"Good for you," Deacon smiled politely.

Rayna fought the urge to roll her eyes when she walked back over to the table and saw Jessie there. Part of her wasn't surprised. It was like the younger woman had a GPS tracker on her husband to let her know his every move. "Jessie, twice in one day. You're certainly makin' a habit of this." She said it in a joking tone, but she was serious.

"I was just telling Deacon that I'm gonna sing here tonight." Jessie replied.

"That's good that you're gettin' work then. I wish I hadn't scheduled myself so tightly. This is the last time I will be home for awhile." A tight smile graced Rayna's face.

"She's lucky she gets work. She's not as young as she used to be." Brad inserted himself in the conversation without any invitation. "Rayna, you look lovely as always. If I were you I would watch Jessie here around my husband. Wedding vows don't mean a thing to her."

"Brad, I trust my husband to not do anythin' he isn't supposed to do. It's a displeasure to see you as always. I'm surprised you're not here with that little boyfriend of yours, Vince Pierce on your arm. You predators have to stick together don't ya?" Rayna shot back at him. She would be damned if after what she just went through she ever let another man let her feel like a victim again.

"You women make it easy. Maybe you put more clothes on we wouldn't be so tempted." Brad leered at her.

"Maybe you men need to learn how to control yourselves, just an idea. Men like you are the reason why I'm scared to let my girls go out into the world by themselves." Rayna glared at him.

"Lord knows if anyone touched one of my girls I would kill 'em." Deacon chimed in. He wasn't about to make it look like his wife didn't have any backup.

"Well, that's neither here nor there. I worry 'bout my son being out in the world and the things women will accuse him of, because they are allowed to get away with it." Brad shot back.

"Brad, knock it off. Your problem is with me don't drag other people into it." Jessie called him down.

"You don't want me to start on you and we both know that." Brad threw over his shoulder as he walked away.

"I'm sorry about him. He wasn't the easiest person to be married too and he's even harder to be divorced from. Our son has a beautiful soul and he is suffocating him. He will do whatever he can to hurt me." Jessie sighed loudly.

"I can handle him. It ain't your fault." Deacon reassured her.

"He doesn't wanna cross me. I have no problem dealin' with a man like that." Rayna added.

"I've never heard anyone talk to him that way you just did. I'm very impressed." Jessie retorted.

"Don't be my husband has to deal with me on a daily basis." Rayna smiled a little.

"I am. Brad is a big bully and it was nice to see someone put him in his place for a change." Jessie told her.

Rayna shrugged her shoulders. "I don't take shit off people like him. He knows that. That's why I can't believe he just came over here and said anything."

Brad pulled out his phone and dialed Zach's number. "Mister Wells, I've had a chance to rethink my position. I would love to partner with you on that matter we discussed earlier. I think that we can really help each other out."

* * *

The next few weeks of Rayna's tour flew by. Before she knew it, it was finally time for her and Deacon to take the honeymoon that they hadn't gotten a chance to yet. Between the Maddie situation, her stalker, and her accident, this was the first chance they were getting. She waited for her husband in the airport. His plane should be getting in any minute. She had flown in a day early, so she could be rested for him. She was really looking forward to having this week alone together before her tour with Luke started up again and the girls joined them for the summer. If anyone needed it they did.

Deacon got off the plane with his duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. It was all he needed for right now. He'd already sent the rest of his stuff ahead with the band to be ready for the tour. This was the only thing he needed to carry with him. He looked around for his wife. A huge smile lit his face when he laid eyes on her for the first time since she'd been home last.

"Hey there, handsome, I know that you travel light, but this is ridiculous even for you." Rayna ran into his arms and wrapped her around his neck tightly.

"The rest of my gear is already here and you know that." Deacon picked her up and spun her around while he kissed her.

Rayna giggled happily and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Deacon John, you better stop that right now before you drop me."

Deacon sat her back on the ground. "Look at how good you're gettin' 'round again. You ran over here to me and wrapped your legs 'round me. I take that to mean that you don't hurt as badly anymore."

Rayna took his hand and laced their fingers together. "I have my good days and my bad days. I'm startin' to have more good than bad the surgeon is happy with that. Toby seems to be happy with the progress I'm makin' too. He's a hard man to please. I try to ignore him and he just calls Buck to put me on the phone."

He pulled her into his side and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I love hearin' all that. Toby is also happy with how Daph is doin'. He said that she seems to be copin' better and there's really no need for her to keep seein' him unless it's what she wants to do."

"I think that is somethin' for us to talk to her 'bout when the girls come. Right now it's time for us both to relax and get in honeymoon mode. I thought we could start when we get to the hotel and get you out of these clothes." She gave him a sexy smile and batted her eyelashes at him.

"I say get me outta this airport and to our honeymoon." He grinned down at her.

Rayna had taken care of everything when it came to their honeymoon. She hadn't wanted Deacon to worry about a thing. After everything that he had done to keep the label afloat and keep the home front running with the girls she thought that he deserved some down time. She hadn't told him anything except what he needed to pack. She hadn't even told him where they were staying. She wanted everything to be a surprise for him.

When she told him they were staying in a hotel that hadn't been even close to doing the place justice. They were staying in a bungalow on the beach where they could have their privacy, but still get the full resort treatment.

At the present time Deacon was laying in the hammock playing around on his guitar. He was shirtless with a pair of swimming trunks and sunglasses. He was getting into vacation mode no problem at all. It had been a very, very long time since they'd gotten away like this just the two of them. It had been before Maddie was born when they were still together the first time, so probably close to twenty years.

Rayna was laid out in a lounge chair wearing a yellow string bikini. She reached over and took a sip of the tropical drink she was drinking. She looked over the top of her sunglasses at her husband. "Keep playin', baby. I could listen to you play all day and never get tired of it."

"I had no plans to stop, darlin'. I gotta play my love song for ya." Deacon made his eyebrows dance.

Rayna giggled uncontrollably. She loved it when she would catch a glimpse of the boy she'd fallen in love with in the man she'd married. "You enjoyin' this honeymoon so far? It's not weird for you that this is the same country I was gonna honeymoon with Luke in is it?"

"You know me well enough to know that I don't give a damn 'bout that. The only thing that matters to me is I'm the lucky son bitch here with ya and who gets to be married to ya." Deacon retorted. He fingered the strings of his guitar absentmindedly.

"All that matters to me is bein' here with you too." She smiled at him.

He hummed softly to himself and the tune he was playing sounded more like a song. _"She's caviar and mascara I'm corduroy and leather. It take one hell of an imagination to ever pain us together. Places I like to haunt at she wouldn't be caught dead. Don't make sense to the neighbors don't look good on paper and sure don't make sense in my head."_

Rayna sat up so she could watch him while he sang. There would always be something about him giving her a private performance of a song he'd written for her that turned her on like nothing else in the world could.

" _But I got a heart like a wheel baby let's go. Get in this heart like a wheel and baby we'll roll."_ He had perfectly captured who they were as couple with this song. They were polar opposites when it came to their backgrounds, but despite all that they had fallen for each other like moths drawn to the flame.

As she listened to the words of the song she could see the boy she met in the Bluebird sitting across from her. He looked like sex, fun, and everything that wasn't good for her all in one package. He'd looked like the kind of boy who was destined to break her heart and get her in trouble. He'd eventually done all those things, but she was a very willing participant.

" _Can't say there won't be rough patches. Scratches from thorn and briar. Over or under we'll roll like thunder as long as there's tread on these tires. I got a heart like a wheel baby let's go. Get in this heart like a wheel and baby let's roll."_ He took his sunglasses off so he could study his wife's face. He always liked to know how the song was hitting with her.

She pushed her sunglasses up on her head and stared at him lustfully. He'd done it yet again he'd managed to capture what made them, them.

" _Ain't no map ain't no way no lights on this long highway. But I know the way by heart bring on the dark. Honey don't worry. Baby I got a heart like a wheel baby let's go. Get in this heart like a wheel and baby we'll roll. I got a heart like wheel baby let's go. Get in this heart like a wheel and baby we'll roll. Get in this heart like a wheel and baby let's go."_ There was a cocky smirk on his face when he finished. He could tell exactly what that song had done to her.

Rayna bit her bottom lip. She didn't want him to know how much he turned her on. She didn't want to give him the upper hand to tease her until she was begging for mercy. Well, she did want that too, but right now she needed him too badly to wait.

"What did you think of the song, Ray?" Deacon's voice was husky and gruff. He'd made them that way intentionally he knew how much more it made her want him.

Rayna licked her lips. Instead of answering him she got up from her lounge chair, she took his guitar and set it aside, and then she got in the hammock with him. Without a word spoken she untied her bikini bottoms and cast them aside before she reached into his shorts and pulled out his throbbing erection. She sank down on him with a loud moan.

Deacon moaned out in surprise and pleasure. He grabbed her hips and helped guide her up and down on his shaft. He wasn't sure how long she could stay in this position given her injury, but he was going to enjoy it for as long as he could. He undid her bikini top so he would have access to her breasts. He took one of her nipples into his mouth right away and started sucking on it.

She bent over some to give him better access to her boobs. She squeezed her inner walls around his shaft. It gave her a break from the up down motion. She didn't want him to know that she was feeling a little discomfort. It would only make him want to stop and that was the last thing she wanted.

It had been so long since they'd been together that it didn't take either of them long to reach the point of no return. When Deacon felt that familiar tightening in his groin he skated the pad of his thumb over Rayna's clit and that was all it took for them to both go tumbling over the edge.

"Well, babe, I'd say that you're pretty well healed." He panted heavily with a goofy grin on his face.

She lay on top of him with her head resting on his chest. She nipped his nipple with her teeth and grinned up at him. "I'm on my way there. I ain't gonna let nothin' stop me from havin' creative honeymoon sex with my husband."

"Your husband sure appreciates that." He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her. He was in no hurry to leave this position. He loved the feel of her naked body against his. It would always be one of his favorite things in the world.

Rayna lazily traced circles on his chest with her finger. She looked up at him sheepishly. There was clearly something on her mind that she wanted to talk about.

"What's goin' on in that head of yours, baby?" Deacon skated his fingertips up and down her back.

"I know that we've talked 'bout this before and you said you needed more time to think. I was wonderin' where you stand on havin' a baby with me? Or rather another baby. We already made Maddie together." She rambled on in a cute nervous way.

Deacon cast his eyes down toward her and just studied her for a minute. Part of him wanted this more than he'd ever wanted anything before in his life. Another part of him was scared that he'd just screw a baby up. He was only so good with Maddie and Daphne because they were grown by the time he got to parent them. "I can tell that this is somethin' that means a lot to you and it's somethin' that you really want. I can tell that you're in it for the right reasons. I know that I want to be someone's daddy. I'm a dad I've never had the fun part. I love you and I will have as many babies with you as you want."

She shot him a huge grin. "It's a good thing you said that. I may or may not have stopped takin' my birth control for this."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "You were so sure that I would say yes. I'm glad that I was in agreement with you. Oh, who the hell am I kiddin'? I would got on board with this either way. It'll be really nice for my kid to have my last name. I have to warn you though if this one isn't a boy I'm movin' up to the cabin for my own safety and sanity."

She swatted his chest playfully. "That one is all on you, buddy, you control the sex of the baby not me."

Deacon put his arms up to defend himself and he laughed harder. "I can only take so much more estrogen in that house." He teased.

"Mhmm, you love it and you know it." Rayna slapped him playfully one last time. "It really bothers you that she doesn't have your last name doesn't it?"

He nodded his head slowly. "It really does. I know that her not havin' my name doesn't make her any less mine, but when coupled with everythin' else it hurts. It hurts that when she did what she did she still took your name, but didn't want a damn thing to do with me. It's alright I just want her to be happy."

"She loves you just the same and I know that Daphne adores you too. Now, how 'bout we make us a honeymoon baby who is gonna have their daddy wrapped 'round their little finger?" She hated when she could plainly see the hurt she had helped to cause him when it came to Maddie.

"I say that's a damn fine idea, baby." He kissed her deeply and sighed in contentment.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. We are really getting to the heart of the story now and I'm very excited for it. I'm sorry that it took me so long to update I've been down with a bad case of pneumonia and it sucks. Thanks for sticking with me all this time. Until next time please review.


End file.
